This week I read a column from the New York Times online by Maureen Dowd called "A Fatal Incuriosity." Dowd's column focused on President Bush's inaction when it came to Hurricane Katrina, especially towards patients in abandoned hospitals. Although I am not one to bash Bush or our government lightly, Dowd's style and approach reeled even me into her column. She started with a personal tone talking about how she feels about hospitals, instantly creating rapport with the reader. Then, she continued to refer to news stories in the NY Times and Newsweek, strengthening her credibility. Dowd made the story hit home by using examples of wheel chairs lined up at the hospital door in hopes for evacuation. Although Dowd makes some strong statements against the President at the end of her column, she gets the reader on her side using an exquisite appeal to emotions. Her column is timely, bold and brilliantly executed.
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/14/opinion/14dowd.html?hp