Maureen Dowd

In her Op-Ed column for The New York Times Maureen Dowd wrote an interesting piece called "A Gay Commander in Chief: Ready or Not?" that had a very unique writing style. The column was an interesting structure of information and opinion concerning the effects of the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal. Dowd wrote a strong lead about her interview with former president Jimmy Carter, "Jimmy Carter is putting the out in outspokenness". Carter was one source that saw the repeal as a civil rights victory and that in the future there could be a gay president. Dowd exposed in her unique writing style the murky waters of the repeal. Dowd's writing style is something to be proud of, because as a reader I felt that I was merely reading an e-mail from a friend, rather than a column in The Times. She writes with such strong words and really makes the reader comprehend the complexities of both sides of the story's effect on the political system. Her use of structure and organization helped the reader expand thoughts on the change that the repeal is making. It was very interesting to read the column, and it was even better to form my own opinion from the facts she presented in her column. It is always a job well done when someone can really make you think merely from their writing style.