Cruz vs. Rubio
When I read the title of the blog, I was expecting a very argumentative and confrontational piece about the two Hispanic Senators. On the contrary, the blog was as lackluster as Cruz’s Spanish. I understand that a blog is not an Op-Ed or a newspaper column, but it can offer a greater depth of perspective, which unfortunately was not provided in this case. The writer’s approach was very light and did not specify that language is one of the most important assets to attract Hispanic voters or at least a certain percentage of the Hispanic population in the country. The blog contained many different ideas that the blogger tried to integrate around the language issue.
Although blogs often touch on the surface or superficial aspects, they should anchor themselves by connecting with primary material to add more context. In this instance, the blogger chose not to use any links or primary sources, leaving the writing without frameworks that could facilitate a conversation with the audience. The writer did not use any elements such as social media or hyperlinks to provide the reader with further information about the rivalry between the two Cuban Americans 1.
Even though the blogger indicated a difference among the Hispanic Senators—Cruz does not embrace his half-Hispanic heritage, while Rubio feels proud to be the son of Cuban immigrants—at the end, the writer did not point out that neither of them fully embraced their Hispanic identity. I consider this issue to be more complex than merely speaking Spanish in debates or on Spanish broadcasts.
I believe the blogosphere allows the writer to send links, stories, and facts to challenge the audience to take a position, as well as to motivate them to participate in the discussion. It is difficult to take part in a discussion when the conversation does not provide an atmosphere in which others want to participate. In the case of this blog, it leaves the feeling of an incomplete conversation. The content of the blog did not connect or engage me to participate in the conversation because the writer did not use logos, ethos, or pathos to persuade me as an audience member that “Spanish” was the central point of the fight between Cruz and Rubio.