To construct a viable argument to justify that \( \log_b b = 1 \) for \( b > 0 \) and \( b \neq 1 \), we can fill in the blanks as follows:
Any positive number raised to the power 1 is equal to itself. Written as an equation, this means that \( b^1 = b \) for any positive base. This equation is equivalent to the logarithmic equation \( \log_b b = 1 \). Therefore, it must be true that \( \log_b b = 1 \) for any positive base that is not equal to 1.