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Column: How Trump uses the ‘Gish Gallop’ to flood debates with lies and nonsense
Los Angeles Times ^ | Sept. 5, 2024 9:09 AM PT | Lorraine Ali, News and Culture Critic

Posted on 09/06/2024 4:59:02 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

Kamala Harris. Donald Trump. Gish Gallop.

All three are expected at Tuesday’s presidential debate, even if most of America is unfamiliar with one name in that lineup.

GG, as I’ve now come to call it, is a shell game/debate tactic that takes its name from Duane Gish, a prominent figure in the creationist movement who deployed dubious arguments, selective factoids, and rapid-fire lies to overwhelm his opponents in public discussions about the theory of evolution.

The disinformation technique, coined Gish Gallop in 1994 by the National Center for Science Education’s founding director Eugenie Scott, is essentially the art of burying one’s opponent in falsehoods, outlandish rhetoric and red herrings, making it near impossible for them to cut through the subterfuge and correct the lies within the timed confines of a debate.

Making the GG method work one’s favor requires criminal levels of confidence and showmanship. I’m not suggesting that former President Trump studied the late creationist’s playbook, if there is such a thing. That would require reading. But there is an instructional set of videotapes.

On those recordings, Duane Gish advises potential debaters to avoid talking about too many subjects on the public stage, steer clear of arguments that are too technical and stick with a few simple arguments, like insisting that fossils are not proof of human evolution but in fact fakes and hoaxes. Does this witch hunt sound familiar?

If the secret to Trump’s upward fail is available for purchase, why aren’t more morally flexible politicians cashing in on the technique? “There’s a lot of mini Trumps, Marjorie Taylor Green, Carrie Lake. JD Vance wishes he was one, but he has a personality of a....”

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Humor
KEYWORDS: crevo; deportlorraineali; disinformation; enemieslist; enemyjournalist; latimessedition; lorraineali; losangelestimes; lyingmuslim; muslimjournalist; muslimsedition; muslimterrorist; piltdownman; projection; storkzilla; trysellingthetruth; undesirablealien
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I remember Duane Gish from the early 1980s. Very smart man.

Here is an obituary:

https://www.icr.org/article/remembering-dr-duane-t-gish-creations/


21 posted on 09/06/2024 7:09:38 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
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To: dragnet2

Love it.


22 posted on 09/06/2024 7:10:45 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Lorraine Ali lies.


23 posted on 09/06/2024 9:27:34 PM PDT by sauropod ("This is a time when people reveal themselves for who they are." James O'Keefe Ne supra crepidam)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

For entertainment purposes only.


24 posted on 09/06/2024 10:57:28 PM PDT by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Yup.
Arc light level of projection.🙄


25 posted on 09/07/2024 2:14:21 AM PDT by BiteYourSelf ( Earth first, we'll strip mine the other planets later.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Keeps them from having to talk about their own policies in their own media outlets.


26 posted on 09/07/2024 2:32:12 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America.)
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To: P.O.E.

“She’s pointed out that he effectively has been found liable for rape”
Harris has “effectively” been found to be a prostitute. Biden has “effectively” been proven to be a pedophile. The author of this article has “effectively” been proven to be a damned liar. “effectively” means “in someone’s imagination”.


27 posted on 09/07/2024 5:34:57 AM PDT by brookwood (51 Intelligence Agents say Russia Is Trying To Influence The 2024 Election)
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To: brookwood

Git ! esad


28 posted on 09/07/2024 9:25:57 AM PDT by skinny old man (Still lurking and posting after all these years(27 yrs ?)(more ?)(seems like more...))
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Yes Alinski learned from the media they were around much earlier than he was.


29 posted on 09/07/2024 9:42:56 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Anyone remember “Intelligent Design”?
It was a planted idea to make conservatives look stupid.
They want us painted as Flat Earth believers.
Faux News helped them do it.


30 posted on 09/09/2024 7:14:57 AM PDT by Zathras
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

https://www.latimes.com/people/lorraine-ali

Snort.


31 posted on 09/09/2024 7:24:00 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!The fans )
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