"Big Deal"

In her Interview, “Big Deal,” Ann Coulter uses some fallacious tactics in her arguments and reasoning. The whole reason for her interview was to promote her new book, If Democrats Had Any Brains They Would Be Republicans. The title of her book is based on a stereotype and it is also based on the categorical syllogism that: If democrats do not have brains, and republicans do have brains, then if democrats were republicans they would have brains. She also says that Christians believe that Jews need to be perfected because Christians see themselves as “perfected Jews.” By saying this Coulter is assuming that all Christians believe they are perfected Jews, which is another fallacious tactic. When she says that Christians believe they are perfected Jews she is using inductive reasoning and generalizing, however her reasoning is fallacious because the term “Christian” is broad and includes many faith denominations. For example Methodist and Catholics consider themselves both to be Christian, despite the differences the beliefs of these two religions.

This interview will effect different people in different ways. If one does not use critical thinking when watching this interview they might conclude that since Ann Coulter is a republican and she thinks democrats have no brains, all republicans think democrats have no brains. Or through fallacious reasoning one might also conclude that since Ann Coulter is a republican and she believes everyone should be Christian, all republicans believe everyone should be Christian.

This interview may also cause some people to be offended by Coulter‘s beliefs (like the interviewer), it may cause some to agree with Coulter or some may make assumptions about groups of people and their beliefs based on the beliefs Coulter expresses. Hopefully the audience watching this interview will use critical thinking and not fallacious reasoning.