Most commonly used logical fallacy nowadays. The Straw Man argument.?

Question

Is there a reason everyone is so obsessed with doing this nowadays?

It is being used constantly by both sides in this election, and it is driving me crazy..

(If you don't know what I'm talking about, a straw man argument is where you make up opinions that your opponent does not really have, and then proceed to attack them about it.)

Some Examples:

Republicans are a bunch of evil hateful people that only want to prop up the rich and step on the poor.

(Republicans believe in their particular style of economic individualism, but it doesn't make them instantly evil for it.)

Or:

Obama is an Muslim who hates America

(This is patently untrue on two counts, the man isn't a Muslim (regardless of what you think of his actual church) and I'm pretty sure he doesn't hate the country he is running for president in, he may have some different views about where to take it, but hate goes way too far.

Answer 1

Its because people think it is a legitimate argument.

"Obama voted against SB 1082. That means he is FOR killing babies."

Limbaugh, O'reilly, Olbermann...they all use straw man arguments so people come to associate it with being the way to argue a point.

Answer 2

Excellent point.  Straw man arguments are used perhaps 75% of the time in the Politics section.  I think it is because people are intellectually lazy or just plain lazy and don't take the time to actually know what their opponents really propose and because they aren't actually interested in discussion.  Instead, most are just interested in posting their own particular hatreds.

Answer 3

Yes I think you are right. They are so common that it's impossible to point them all out.

Answer 4

you raise good points here and as a republican i have actually used the accusation of being a rascist to convince some that the conservative ideals are the way to go once they are shown it isnt rascism but fairness and honesty that motivates us to promote hard work and hands up rather then the slavery of the welfare system.

As far as Obama goes, i have never said he was a muslim but as far as the hating America goes, that stems from his own words and the words of those he calls friends. It is a provable point that a lot of people on the far left will look to how America was wrong first to explain every trouble we have. Examples: his pastor with the G d America, the lib proffesor in colorado who says also says america deserved 9-11  and countless others. They are the blame America crowd and Obama has gone out of his way to be friendly with them.

wether he hates America or not only he knows but i know to judge a person by the company he keeps and calls friend.

Answer 5

You can logically agrue with people on the intraweb.

Answer 6

Welcome to politics in America.  It has been this way from the very start.