In a political debate, what fallacy occurs when a candidate avoids a question about their record by redirecting to another issue?

In a political debate, what fallacy occurs when a candidate avoids a question about their record by redirecting to another issue?

• A. Complex Question
• B. No Technique
• C. Diversion
• D. Begging the Question

Answer: (C)

The correct answer is identified as Diversion because this fallacy occurs when a candidate or speaker shifts the focus from the original question or issue to a different, often unrelated topic. In the context of a political debate, when a candidate is confronted with a challenging question regarding their record and chooses to redirect the conversation to another issue, they are effectively avoiding accountability and evading the discussion about their performance or actions. This tactic can distract the audience and undermine constructive dialogue by steering away from pertinent issues. The other options, while related to logical fallacies, do not accurately describe the scenario presented. A Complex Question implies that the question itself is flawed, often due to containing an assumption that may not be true. No Technique would suggest there isn't a logical error present, which isn't the case here, as the diversion is an evasive strategy. Begging the Question refers to a situation where an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion instead of supporting it, which is not applicable in the scenario of redirecting the topic in a debate. Hence, Diversion is the most suitable choice for this specific situation.

The correct answer is identified as Diversion because this fallacy occurs when a candidate or speaker shifts the focus from the original question or issue to a different, often unrelated topic. In the context of a political debate, when a candidate is confronted with a challenging question regarding their record and chooses to redirect the conversation to another issue, they are effectively avoiding accountability and evading the discussion about their performance or actions. This tactic can distract the audience and undermine constructive dialogue by steering away from pertinent issues.

The other options, while related to logical fallacies, do not accurately describe the scenario presented. A Complex Question implies that the question itself is flawed, often due to containing an assumption that may not be true. No Technique would suggest there isn't a logical error present, which isn't the case here, as the diversion is an evasive strategy. Begging the Question refers to a situation where an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion instead of supporting it, which is not applicable in the scenario of redirecting the topic in a debate. Hence, Diversion is the most suitable choice for this specific situation.