[C. Edmund Wright]

I jumped that ship long ago..............watching the Titanic go down from safely aboard the Carpathia (I think that was the name of it....)

[PENANCE]

Let's recap:

Your rant against Newt is the kind of rant that Thomas Sowell makes fun of. That kind of rant would infuriate Reagan

Straw man .... check.(more like "no man", but who's counting)

Appeal to Authority ... check, and check (that's two, I guess I'm counting)

[PENANCE]

And I'm not appealing to you, I am appealing to those perusing the debate and using you as a mere foil

What language do you speak?

Me speekum english.

There are several (keeping words small) "things".

These "things" are called "logical fallacies".

There are many of these "things". Each of them has a "name".

The "name" of one of them is: "Appeal to Authority"

Another is called "Appeal to Popularity"

There are others, with other "names".

I even provided a "LINK" to a fairly good list of these "things" and their "names".

When I used the word "Appeal" it was as part of the "NAME" of a "THING" sometimes known as a "logical fallacy".

Just so we're clear: I was NOT hitting on you.

(I say this because I don't know what your interpretation of the phrase "appealing to you" is)