Rancid, let me see if I can help clarify with a few specific examples.
A good example of a Straw Man argument is 6thGen?s post #12, ?As for the Falwell death announcement, he is, in effect, the founder of the Religious Right. I assume if anyone was upset about the alert, then they'd also be upset if an alert popped up for, say, Rand, Marx or FDR.?, since clearly Marx or FDR are much larger historical figures.
A good example of a Red Herring would be 6thGen?s response in Post #35, to kathydwells quote regarding greed:
?Maybe if American Indians looked to solutions other than the way of the buffalo, they'd get a handle on their people's problem of alcoholism.?, Since alcoholism was never part of the original discussion.
But my favorite flawed debating tactic is Tunnel Vision Arguments, you know like ?All arabs are violent and war-like, because every war in the mid-east has involved arabs?.? Any guesses as to who is the master of these?