The “ad hominem” argument—literally “to the person”—is rightly regarded as a logical fallacy because it substitutes personal attacks for discussing the argument someone is making. But on many talk shows, including Limbaugh’s, nearly every argument was ad hominem. Instead of offering statistics and building a case, it was simply easier to ridicule House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, or shrug off a negative report because it came from the “lamestream media.”
