Character Assassination as Logical Fallacy

[Sky Dancer]

Character assassination is the act or attempt to tarnish a person's reputation which may involve exaggeration or manipulation of facts to present an untrue picture of the targeted person.

We see this in politics all the time. Rather than dispute the qualifications of a political candidate we attack his or her character. Character assassination is a campaign strategy in elections. President Obama is continually attacked on character rather than his policies. Herman Cain lost his candidacy for the same.

It's also a logical fallacy called "ad hominem". Obama's policies must be flawed because he is "that" kind of person.

It's rampant in political debate forums. Discuss the ethics of this strategy.

 

[Caroljo]

Character assassination is the act or attempt to tarnish a person's reputation which may involve exaggeration or manipulation of facts to present an untrue picture of the targeted person.

We see this in politics all the time. Rather than dispute the qualifications of a political candidate we attack his or her character. Character assassination is a campaign strategy in elections. President Obama is continually attacked on character rather than his policies. Herman Cain lost his candidacy for the same.

It's also a logical fallacy called "ad hominem". Obama's policies must be flawed because he is "that" kind of person.

It's rampant in political debate forums. Discuss the ethics of this strategy.

Not quite...I have seen many more negative comments about Obama because of his policies....NOT his character. Most people i know think he's a very personable guy, it's the way he's running this country they don't like!

As for Cain, it WAS character assassination. The left are trying to do with with every one of the GOP candidates. They're working overtime trying to find whatever they can on every one of them. But ya know what? I don't think any one of the GOP candidates can outdo the shit Obama has put on our country.

Also...i have NEVER heard anyone say anything about Obama because "he's that kind of person"...I'd like to see proof of that.

 

[Avatar4321]

So character is not important?

I think character and policies are both important.

 

[rdean]

Strange the way, when polled, Obama's policies are popular and well received. Soon as his name is attached, the right wing hates those policies. We've seen this over and over and over again.

 

[Wiseacre]

I was under the impression that Obama's personal poll numbers are much better than those of his policies. Every president gets attacked for various things, mostly inconsequential. I don't think Obama has that much to bitch about when it comes to his treatment by the media.

And BTW, the character assssination by the left on Sarah Palin was as viscious as any I've seen in the last 50 years. The personal attacks were to my mind far outside the realm of objective reportage or political analysis.

 

[rdean]

I was under the impression that Obama's personal poll numbers are much better than those of his policies. Every president gets attacked for various things, mostly inconsequential. I don't think Obama has that much to bitch about when it comes to his treatment by the media.

And BTW, the character assssination by the left on Sarah Palin was as viscious as any I've seen in the last 50 years. The personal attacks were to my mind far outside the realm of objective reportage or political analysis.

Repeating Sarah Palin's words on Saturday Night Live word for word proves she assassinated her own character.

 

[Wiseacre]

I was under the impression that Obama's personal poll numbers are much better than those of his policies. Every president gets attacked for various things, mostly inconsequential. I don't think Obama has that much to bitch about when it comes to his treatment by the media.

And BTW, the character assssination by the left on Sarah Palin was as viscious as any I've seen in the last 50 years. The personal attacks were to my mind far outside the realm of objective reportage or political analysis.

Repeating Sarah Palin's words on Saturday Night Live word for word proves she assassinated her own character.

That is debateable, and proves absolutely nothing. But what's not debateable is the truly ferocious personal attacks against Palin by just about everyone on the left. Seriously man, your attempt to absolve the left of any wrongdoing when it comes to character assassination is lame.

 

[rdean]

I was under the impression that Obama's personal poll numbers are much better than those of his policies. Every president gets attacked for various things, mostly inconsequential. I don't think Obama has that much to bitch about when it comes to his treatment by the media.

And BTW, the character assssination by the left on Sarah Palin was as viscious as any I've seen in the last 50 years. The personal attacks were to my mind far outside the realm of objective reportage or political analysis.

Repeating Sarah Palin's words on Saturday Night Live word for word proves she assassinated her own character.

That is debateable, and proves absolutely nothing. But what's not debateable is the truly ferocious personal attacks against Palin by just about everyone on the left. Seriously man, your attempt to absolve the left of any wrongdoing when it comes to character assassination is lame.

Word for word. No flourishes added. Word for word.

 

[Wiseacre]

Repeating Sarah Palin's words on Saturday Night Live word for word proves she assassinated her own character.

That is debateable, and proves absolutely nothing. But what's not debateable is the truly ferocious personal attacks against Palin by just about everyone on the left. Seriously man, your attempt to absolve the left of any wrongdoing when it comes to character assassination is lame.

Word for word. No flourishes added. Word for word.

So what? She says a few dumb things, and SNL makes fun of it, and you think that makes it okay to totally smear her, write vicious personal attack, make crude and insensitive jokes about her or her daughter, go looking through her emails, anything at all to destroy her politically?

Gee, wonder if she said anything about 57 states, or any of the thousand and one stupid things Joe Biden has said over the past 40 fuckin' years. You really won't admit that she was poorly treated, mischaracterized, and smeared by the left? You don't think the left is every bit as bad as the right when it comes to character assassination? Gotta say, your intellectual integrity is taking a big hit.

 

[FurthurBB]

I was under the impression that Obama's personal poll numbers are much better than those of his policies. Every president gets attacked for various things, mostly inconsequential. I don't think Obama has that much to bitch about when it comes to his treatment by the media.

And BTW, the character assssination by the left on Sarah Palin was as viscious as any I've seen in the last 50 years. The personal attacks were to my mind far outside the realm of objective reportage or political analysis.

It might have gone a little far, but in her case I really didn't mind. It was a slap in the face to put her up for VP. Seriously insulting and she allowed herself to be duped and continually made herself look like a complete idiot, so she was not undeserving of it.

 

[Truthmatters]

charactor assassination is when you use UNTRUE things to color the perception of a person.


Telling the truth about someone is perfectly fine.

Now why does the right continuosly LIE about the candiates on the left?

They lied about Obamas birth.

They lied about Kerry war hero status.

They LIED about whitewater.

all of the candidates who have fallen by the way side on the republican side have been downed by things they actually did.