Red herring - Revision history

LT: added a category link

2020-07-18T20:48:27Z

added a category link

DavidB4-bot: /* top */Spelling, Grammar, and General Cleanup

2016-07-01T14:04:45Z

top: Spelling, Grammar, and General Cleanup

SamHB: The "idioms" category works just fine; we don't need a separate one for "metaphors". Also, it isn't a fallacy; it's an (underhanded) rhetorical trick.

2016-05-09T03:05:49Z

The "idioms" category works just fine; we don't need a separate one for "metaphors". Also, it isn't a fallacy; it's an (underhanded) rhetorical trick.

DavidE: internal link

2012-01-25T14:03:00Z

internal link

CPalmer: WHOOPS

2010-01-29T12:06:53Z

WHOOPS

CPalmer: an example - best I can think of off hand

2010-01-29T12:06:35Z

an example - best I can think of off hand

DanielPulido at 19:22, December 14, 2009

2009-12-14T19:22:14Z

TK: created wanted page

2009-03-12T22:08:43Z

created wanted page

New page

A '''"Red herring"''' is a fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea is to "win" an argument by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic.

[[Category: Logical Fallacies]]
[[Category: Metaphors]]
[[Category: Deceit]]

{{liberalism}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:48, July 18, 2020
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	[[Category:Idioms]]		[[Category:Idioms]]
		+	[[Category:Misnomers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:04, July 1, 2016
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	Red herrings are sometimes intentionally introduced in a debate (political or otherwise). Skilled debaters are good at detecting this. For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[economy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness\|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.		Red herrings are sometimes intentionally introduced in a debate (political or otherwise). Skilled debaters are good at detecting this. For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[economy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness\|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.

−	[[Category: Idioms]]	+	[[Category:Idioms]]

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-A '''"Red herring"''' is a [[logical fallacy|fallacy]] in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea is to "win" an argument by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic.
+A '''Red herring''' is anything that turns out to be totally irrelevant to the question at hand.  For example, in criminal investigations, detectives (rightly) follow nearly any lead they are given; most turn out to be "red herrings".  The hope is that one will not.  The same is true of scientific investigations.
-For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[economy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.
+Red herrings are sometimes intentionally introduced in a debate (political or otherwise).  Skilled debaters are good at detecting this.  For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[economy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.
-[[Category: Logical Fallacies]]
+[[Category: Idioms]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:03, January 25, 2012
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−	A '''"Red herring"''' is a fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea is to "win" an argument by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic.	+	A '''"Red herring"''' is a [[logical fallacy\|fallacy]] in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea is to "win" an argument by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic.

	For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[economy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness\|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.		For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[economy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness\|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 A '''"Red herring"''' is a fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea is to "win" an argument by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic.
-For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[econonomy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.
+For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[economy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.
 [[Category: Logical Fallacies]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:06, January 29, 2010
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	A '''"Red herring"''' is a fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea is to "win" an argument by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic.		A '''"Red herring"''' is a fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea is to "win" an argument by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic.
		+
		+	For example, during an [[election]] campaign, a politician who is weak on the [[econonomy]] might make a speech attacking a rival on a much more trivial issue, such as a [[political correctness\|politically incorrect]] remark he or she may have made some time ago. The hope is that the electorate and the [[media]] will focus attention on the red herring and overlook the campaigner's poor economic record.

	[[Category: Logical Fallacies]]		[[Category: Logical Fallacies]]

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 [[Category: Metaphors]]
 [[Category: Deceit]]
+[[Category: Liberal Traits]]