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Gish gallop

Overview

A debating tactic, named after the creationist Duane Gish, in which a speaker fires off so many claims, half-truths and misrepresentations in a short time that the opponent cannot possibly address them all. Whatever is left unanswered is then claimed as a point won.

Notes

It works because refuting a claim takes far longer than making one. The only defence is to refuse the frame: pick the strongest one or two claims, deal with them properly, and say out loud why the rest are being left. Kent Hovind is the standard specimen.

Also see

#fallacy