Top Haitian official denounces false claim, repeated by Trump, that immigrants are eating pets
AP's September 26, 2024 report on Haiti's transitional council president condemning the Springfield pet-eating rumor shows how quickly a sensational falsehood can travel from fringe posts to a presidential debate to the United Nations. The case is vivid enough to illustrate both emotional manipulation and the costs of repeating an unverified claim because it 'sounds like what the other side would do.' The fallacy here is Red herring: someone diverts attention from the unresolved issue by switching to a different issue that is easier, safer, or more emotionally useful. That matters here because not every detour is fallacious; context can matter. That is the exact slip in this case: the diversion substitutes for addressing the question that was actually on the table.
Associated Press · 2024-09-26
Key takeaways from a debate that featured tense clashes and closed with a Taylor Swift endorsement
AP's September 10, 2024 debate takeaway piece captures how often nationally watched debates pivot on baiting, reframing, crowd-pleasing jabs, and memorable lines rather than patient argument. It is a compact real-world lab for straw manning, redirection, and emotionally charged reframing. The fallacy here is Red herring: someone diverts attention from the unresolved issue by switching to a different issue that is easier, safer, or more emotionally useful. That matters here because not every detour is fallacious; context can matter. That is the exact slip in this case: the diversion substitutes for addressing the question that was actually on the table.
Associated Press · 2024-09-10
FACT FOCUS: Here's a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump's first debate
AP's June 27, 2024 fact check of the first Biden-Trump debate is a dense collection of real argumentative shortcuts: statistics pulled loose from context, emotionally loaded immigration claims, and repeated assertions that did more rhetorical than evidential work. It is one of the best single-source stress tests in the library. The fallacy here is Red herring: someone diverts attention from the unresolved issue by switching to a different issue that is easier, safer, or more emotionally useful. That matters here because not every detour is fallacious; context can matter. That is the exact slip in this case: the diversion substitutes for addressing the question that was actually on the table.
Associated Press · 2024-06-27
AP Explains: Migration is more complex than politics show
AP's migration explainer from September 20, 2024 is useful because it deliberately widens the frame beyond debate slogans and viral rumors. That makes it a strong case for fallacies that depend on flattening a complicated policy landscape into one cause, one image, or one moral punchline. The fallacy here is Red herring: someone diverts attention from the unresolved issue by switching to a different issue that is easier, safer, or more emotionally useful. That matters here because not every detour is fallacious; context can matter. That is the exact slip in this case: the diversion substitutes for addressing the question that was actually on the table.
Associated Press · 2024-09-20
In the June 27, 2024 Biden-Trump debate, answers about the economy, abortion, and January 6 often veered into immigration, personal fitness, or unrelated grievances instead of the question asked. The fallacy here is Red herring: someone diverts attention from the unresolved issue by switching to a different issue that is easier, safer, or more emotionally useful. That matters here because not every detour is fallacious; context can matter. That is the exact slip in this case: the diversion substitutes for addressing the question that was actually on the table.
