Mastering the debate game
Reading Time: 3 minutes – RHETORIC REFEREE – Donald Trump knows how to play the game to win. Now you can, too! Follow along see if you can spot these debate tricks and traps.
The Trump effect
Reading Time: < 1 minute – DEBATE TRICKS – Why not write about Trump? Everybody writes about President Trump. Especially Trump.
Heads I Win, Tails I Win
Reading Time: 2 minutes – DEBATE TRICKS -This is an example of a false choice. It assumes there are only two possible outcomes — in this case, either don’t release the report or release the report in its entirety.
The Curious Kavanaugh Case
Reading Time: 4 minutes – DEBATE TRICKS – The public doesn’t get excited over judicial philosophy. It does get excited over partisanship, and much more so over sex. Sex is, well, sexy.
The Straw Man
Reading Time: 2 minutes – DEBATE TRICKS – American political discussions violate many rules of logic and debate. One of the most outrageous, easiest to spot, and hardest to parry is the Straw Man argument.