It is clear that let alone compromising with opposing ideas Limbaugh decided to remain ridiculing them. He states one sided conservative opinion with dismissive and sometimes with unnecessary usage of words that might even offend readers of his essay. This is not a good persuasive strategy for issues like condom distribution which requires mature thinking, compromising and listening to other people's view and idea.The overall tone of this essay is entertainingly persuasive because of his use of sarcasm and irony to illustrate his claim. For example, Limbaugh says that to distribute condoms or make them available to students in a school setting would condone and even promote sexual activity. He continues to say that if Johnny were trying to persuade Susie into having sex he could just say, "Hey, everything is okay. Nothing will go wrong. Heck, the school gave me this condom, they know what they're doing. You'll be fine" (750). Limbaugh presented this as if the school is promoting sex to teenagers. He ignored the fact that the school is trying to protect those students who chose to stay sexually active from teenage pregnancy and potential sexually transmitted diseases. This again is not convincing to readers as he uses silly comparison and twisting ideas of others that will question his credential and genuine concern about the issue.
He doesn't use statistics very well nor does he appeal to expert authority or popular opinion. For instance, he says, "The condom failure rate can be as high as twenty percent" (753). The reader would question the source of this data to be persuaded. Furthermore, he uses language manipulation coupled with exaggerations that seem persuasive, but many flaws can be found in his argument. First, the only solution presented in his approach to sex education is that of abstinence, neglecting to consider a combination of the two. His presentation consists of either handing out condoms to teens or teaching abstinence.
