PrintDecember 31, 2009
Obama's Game of False Choices
"Let me be clear," "Failure is not an option," and "I reject that false choice" appear to be three of Barack Obama's top phrases. They are the hallmarks of Obama-style rhetoric. Of the three, let's consider the Obama tactic of false choices.From war to foreign policy to the economy, Obama is constantly setting up his "false choices" in order to soundly "reject" the false choice at hand. The gimmick works well to make Obama appear really smart, as one who thinks outside the box. In the "fallacy of false choices," Christopher Beam notes that Obama often sets up straw men and appears to create wiser third options in rejecting the false choices.To the faithful, the false choice is obviously immature, and Obama's third choice is strikingly brilliant. Bush had been giving us false choices for eight years, but Obama rejects those false choices.A cursory analysis of the choice to set up false choices to make one's point, however,...(Read Full Article)
