Matt Robida's E-Portfolio

I’m currently an undergraduate student majoring in Crime, Law, and Justice (BA) at Penn State University. As an aspiring Paterno Fellow I often find myself in the library for long enough periods of time to be able to call it my home away from home. As I progress through my education, I hope to attend law school and earn a JD, focusing on either criminal law or constitutional law.

In my desired profession, rhetoric is very prevalent, and it is extremely important to understand what rhetoric is and how to use it. Through the education I have received so far, I have discovered that rhetoric is used for much more than the stereotypical explanations of it. Normally, people think of rhetoric as an underhanded technique used in politics to gain the upper hand. However, through my education, I have come to understand that rhetoric is constantly being used, whether we realize it or not.

Every action a person makes has rhetorical aspects to it, whether it be the timing of the action, known as kairos, or someone listening to a respected person, known as ethos.  While we all are using rhetoric, it is important to utilize it, as utilization can result in a greater ethos, which in turn, can help influence others, which is the basis of rhetorical choices.

Once one gains the ability to understand rhetoric will allow that person to understand why others use rhetorical choices. Being able to file through all the rhetoric in the world and discover what is beneficial is extremely important, and can help a person progress in their endeavors.

As a law student, learning the effective use of rhetoric has been one of the most important lessons from my education thus far. Having the ability to utilize such a powerful tool will be extremely beneficial, and eventually, I believe it will make me a better lawyer.

On this site, you will find several of my own essays, which examine the use of rhetoric in different mediums throughout society. In each case, numerous rhetorical choices were used, both by the subjects of the work, as well as by me, the author. Through these, I hope to both demonstrate my own understanding of rhetoric, as well as provide examples for those wishing to gain a better understanding.

Matt Robida's E- Portfolio

It's Halftime, America

On Tuesday, GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney dominated the Republican primaries, sweeping the primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland, and Washington DC. This is practically a death blow to the Santorum campaign, and pretty much everybody is aware.

Everyone, that is, except Rick Santorum.

In a speech after the primaries, Santorum stated, "It's halftime" and that he was ready to "storm out of the locker room" for the second half. To further accentuate his claims, Santorum appealed to the Ethos of the Republican god, Ronald Reagan.

Santorum recalled the fact that in 1976, Reagan hadn't won a single primary until May, and was able to take the race all the way to the GOP national convention, where he eventually lost. This, he claims, resulted in a loss in the general election.

Of course, the logos Santorum's argument is inherently flawed, as comparing himself to Reagan in '76 is basically saying he is going to divide the party and help Obama win the general election.

Though, Santorum did go on to say that in 1980, the GOP finally nominated Reagan, and he eventually won the general election. He continued, saying it was a mistake in 1976 to not elect Reagan, and it would be a mistake to wait until 2016 to elect Santorum.

Santorum actually believes that he is going to win the nomination, and will continue fighting until the end. This will likely create further parity inside the GOP, and could hurt Romney's chances at election. This reveals that Santorum's logos in regards to the whole election process is completely flawed, and by doing this, he is actually helping President Obama closer to victory.