The American West

Critique of Will's 2nd draft

I think the changes compliment the paper quite well.  The structure and most of the grammatical misques have been improved, while still maintaining a good flow.  The research and specificity on the topic remains strong.  Also, the addition of citing the sources is key to completing this essay successfully. 

Alot was improved but still the structure and transition sentences between paragraphs can be improved.  Also there tends to be an over reliance, in my eyes, on the research and not enough on tying it all into the big picture in the conclusion.  Overall improvement on an otherwise very good paper.

A-

Critique of Will's Primary draft

Will, I think your essay flows nicely.  Also, I particularly think that the introduction paragraph is very strong.  The thesis connects the intro to the body of work quite well and that is key.  The attention to specific officers in the text allows the paper to be extremely focused (i.e. Lt. Col. Cain, etc) thus giving a strong backbone to your thesis.  The body of works that you used to research and discuss this topic seem to be the most positive aspect of your work so far.   However, there is no bibliography in the first draft nor parenthetical documentation.  Without these elements I cannot double check the sources for content and accuracy in implementation.  The structure of the paper has some minor flaws but does flow nicely. 

Add a bibliography and parathetical documentation make a few grammatical changes and the paper is quite good.

B   

Draft #2 text

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Draft #2 text version.

First Draft

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Outline

Opening Paragraph: Hook in the audience with the story of the 1984 Campaign Rally for Ronald Reagan in Texas which was viewed as a battleground state at the time.  Discussion of the visual cowboy symbols utilized for appeal to the audience (cowboy hat, swagger, laid-back contenance).  Mentioning from the reporter of George Bush's ties to Texas as a plus to Reagan's campaign progress in the state for reelection.  Sources used:  Library of Congress:  Media entitled - Campaign Texas 1984 (CBS News).  Tie story in with Owen Wister's The Virginian and Thom Ross' illustrations and brief biography.

Paragraph #2:  Classical definitions of a cowboy hero and visual representations of the heroic imagery.  Demonstrate a connection between political appeal and western heroic imagery.  Unveil the use of carefully crafted visual codes for politicians, that allow the politician to be flexable but still appeal to the main demographic or base audience.  Transition statement between paragraph 2 and 3 should reveal the carefully crafted code of the protaganist in The Virginian  of western cowboy heroic qualities and eastern elegance and sophistication.  Sources should include Owen Wister's book and excerpts from Dallek's book.

Paragraph #3:  Discussion of Thom Ross' ability to take a historic event and make it modern and sometimes even farcical, intertwining both western and eastern influences into his illustrations for the Centennial version of Wister's classic novel.  The beginning of the connection between Ronald Reagan and Thom Ross' artwork for the piece should develop at this part of the paper.  Citing Ross' Field History for background and specically earlier works from Ross' collection.

Paragraph #4:  In depth discussion and argument for the similarities between Ronald Reagan videoclips and Ross' illustrations including the cover art throughout the body of the work.  Specifically alligning a Reagan clip or photo to one piece of art by Ross.  Sources Reagan library archives for photos and videoclips and Library of Congress Media clips.  Also illustrations from Wister's Centennial version of The Virginian.

Paragraph #5:  Continuing evidence of a connection:  Ross' upbringing in California during Reagan's early political years in California.  Ross' love for westerns and baseball around this time allow him to cite John Wayne as an influence in his artwork who was a contemporary of Reagan when he was transitioning from acting to politics.  Sources include biographical material on Ross and Reagan as well as e-mail interview with Ross.

Paragraph #6:  Reagan fits the mold of an influence.  He jeers Gorbachev one moment but practices putting in the oval office with a prominent pro golfer (courtesy of Reagan Libary photoclip).  The photo is strikingly similar to "Indian playing golf" by Ross.  This would be a good time to address an antagonist argument to mine, I would explain that it is possible to overanalyze these connections but that the illustrations of Ross in Wister's reissue are not only possible but are likely to be in connection between Reagan's visual imagery and Ross' most recent work. 

Paragraph #7: Conclussion.  Tie in all of the connections while considering the opposing view. 

Bibliography: Ronald Reagan and Thom Ross

Spada, James.  Ronald Reagan:  his life in pictures  New York, St. Martin's Press, 2000.

Dallek, Robert.  Ronald Reagan:  the politics of symbolism  Cambridge, Mass:  Harvard  University Press, 1999.

Wister, Owen.  The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains  Roberts Rinehart Pub, 100 Anniversity Ed. (February 2003).

Ross, Thom.  Undiscovered History:  The thoughts of Thom Ross  The Western Historical Quarterly  Volume 35, No. 2.  Summer 2004

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/photographs/campaign.html  C23663-23, President Reagan and Vice President Bush at a welcoming rally at the Loews Anatoly hotel in Dallas, Texas.

8/22/84

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http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/photographs/ranch.html  C3606-21A, President Reagan horseback riding at Rancho Del Cielo.

8/27/81

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...and the results of an e-mail interview with Thom Ross...

Comment#3: Women and the Homestead Act

Comment on blog post about the impact of The Homestead Act on Women

Political Visual Imagery

      In my research for possible topics, I encountered many options that allowed me to investigate the carefully crafted measures that are taken in molding the image of an American politician.  Many aspects are involved within these public relations endeavors, including proper implementation of rhetoric and tone in speeches.  Also there is the affect of visual representations of the politician that are used to arose various different constituencies.  Among these constituencies, there lies a politician's base which is solidified by issue allegence but also by factors such as demographics.

      One particular instance comes from a 1984 campaign rally for the re-election of Ronald Reagan in the state of Texas, which had suddenly and almost inexplicably became a battleground state.  It was obvious that the President would have to portray himself as a likeable and trusting figure in order to focus on more challenging battleground states for not only his candiancy but for the GOP as a whole as well.  In a display of attempting to connect with the demographic, Reagan wore a cowboy hat along with his running mate and incumbent Vice President George Bush.  The campaign also tried to lean on Bush's ties to Texas even though he was born in Connecticut.  Reagan also displayed more subtle visual ideosyncracies that would give him a more rural, western appeal.  He carried a contenance that was accompanied by a strong, stand-up-straight style, and the laid back rhetoric similar to that of the protaganist in Owen Wister's The Virginian. 

      This is just one of many instances that Ronald Reagan and his cronies used in order to appease certain demographics for political gain.  Visual imagery from the American Western era was deemed as extremely useful for implementation by Ronald Reagan in order to combat the eastern foes of or under Soviet persuasion.  Reagan and his staff were inspired to implement these visual representations that harken back to the era of the western cowboy hero through such works as the illustrated version of the American classic, The Virginian. 

      After researching Media archives relating to Ronald Reagan at the Library of Congress, I have found that there is sufficient material to make this case in an unique and specific manner.  This material will then be analized along with the illustrations in Owen Wister's novel to make the case of the said thesis.

Happy Birthday to me!

Comment #2: Maps of San Francisco

Maps of San Francisco

In response to a classmate's primary source structure in conjunction with their topic

Researching Possible Primary Sources

      In searching for primary sources for a research topic, I came across three possible primary sources that would be used as measuring sticks in a compare and contrast model.  Ronald Reagan's 1987 speech which I gathered via www.nara.gov with the famous line instructing Mr. Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall would be used effectively against the backdrop of Owen Wister's The Virginian in order to distinguish if and how Ronald Reagan used American West rhetoric or tone in that famous speech and how it can be compared to the first "cowboy-hero" novel. 

      Also I intend to bring into the mix the influence that Peggy Noonan, Reagan's speech writer, was able to mold his speech and make his bold statements full with grandeur and appealing to the average man's ear.  In her book, On Speaking Well, she offers up reasons for speech appeal that parallel and sometimes contrast greatly to my intent with the research.

      Each of these sources, if used properly, can be weaved into a good path of study and research.  I'm not sure yet whether or not my beliefs about the final thesis would come true.  It would still take a lot of research to find out what really lies beneath Reagan's exceptional speaking style.