Rhetorical
Strategies
A mistaken belief, especially one
based on an unsound argument.
Information, especially of a biased
or misleading nature, used to
promote or publicize a particular
political or point of view.
• Inviting the public to do what
everybody else is doing.
Card Stacking omits factual details in order to
misrepresent a product, idea, or cause. Card
stacking intentionally gives only part of the
truth. For example, a commercial for a snack
food labels the snack “low in fat,” which
suggests that it is healthier and lower in calories
than a product that is not low in fat. However,
the commercial does not mention that the
snack is loaded with sugar and calories.
Using the idea because of one
event happens another must
also happen. The use of a
product is credited for
creating a positive result.
Circular Reasoning (also known as
begging the question) restates the
point of an argument as the support
and the conclusion.
The audience is led to believe
one item or choice is better
than another, although no real
proof is offered.
“Since that event followed this one,
that event must have been caused by
this one.” The fallacy lies in coming to
a conclusion based solely on the order
of events, rather than taking into
account other factors that might rule
out the connection.
Assumes that only two sides of an issue
exist. Either-or offers a false dilemma
because more than two options are
usually available.
Using exaggeration to convince.
Assumes that two things are similar when
they are not. This fallacy is also known as
a false analogy. An analogy is a point-bypoint comparison that is used to explain
an unfamiliar concept by comparing it to
a more familiar one.
Presenting a dreaded
circumstance then following up
with a kind of behavior needed
to avoid the horrible event.
Complimenting someone to
get what you want.
The grass roots or “plain folks appeal” uses
irrelevant details to build trust based on
commonly shared values. Many people
distrust the wealthy and powerful, such as
politicians and the heads of large
corporations. Many assume that the
wealthy and powerful cannot relate to the
everyday concerns of plain people.
Therefore, the person or organization of
power puts forth an image to which
everyday people can more easily relate.
Using words that make the
audience feel strongly
(positively or negatively) about
someone or something
Negative words are used to create an unfavorable
opinion of the competition in the audience’s
mind. Also known as an ad hominem attack, a
personal attack attempts to discredit the point by
discrediting the person making the point.
A product name or a
keyword/phrase is repeated
several time to get the
audience’s attention.
Asking a question to prove a
point. The question usually
doesn’t require an answer.
Using numbers to convince
(real or inflated)
Using prejudiced
thinking to get support
Testimonials use irrelevant personal
opinions to support a product, idea, or
cause. Most often the testimonial is
provided by a celebrity whose only
qualification as a spokesperson is fame.
Transfer creates an
association between a
product, idea, or cause with
a symbol or image that has
positive or negative values.