Jeffrey Dixon 300174797 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE FALLACIES

Mr. Romney: Well, Jim, our seniors depend on these programs. And I know any time we talk about entitlements, people become concerned that somethings going to happen thats going to change their life for the worst, and the answer is, neither the president nor I are proposing any changes for any current retirees or near retirees, either to Social Security or Medicare. So if youre 60 or around 60 or older, you dont need to listen any further. But for younger people, we need to talk about what changes are going to be occurring. Mr. Romney violates the black and white fallacy. He says that seniors dont have to worry about government changing entitlement programs, however, if youre not a senior you should be worrying. It sounds like an effective argument, but at the same time he only presents two inclusive options when there are better alternatives. President Obama: And thats the perspective I bring when I think about whats called entitlements. You know, the name itself implies some sense of dependency on the part of these folks. These are folks whove worked hard, like my grandmother. And there are millions of people out there who are counting on this. President Obama uses anecdotal evidence to assert that if you work hard through life you are entitled to government funded programs. He uses his grandmother as an example of an American who came up from an underprivileged background. Obama asserts that she is an example of a hard working American who is eventually going to depend on the system.