"Life: Imagine the Potential" Name that Logical Fallacy

Reality Believer

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CatholicVote.com has released a video that illustrate the story of Barack Obama, that as a fetus, would have faced a broken home and if aborted, would never have been president.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c

This seems like a classic menu of logical fallacies, but I need some help in defining the exact ones. :confused:
 
If he hadn't been born, he couldn't have been the first black president, that's true.

Someone else would have been, unless the argument is that he's the only black man ever born who could have had this achievement.

The female body constantly rejects potential humans for a variety of reasons.
Not every miscarried fetus was spontaneously aborted by the body because of defects.
Sometimes, perfectly viable fetuses are rejected for no clear reason.
One of them could have already been the first black president, but they weren't born and it wasn't anyone's fault.

The video is largely an appeal to emotion.
 
Reality Believer said:
CatholicVote.com has released a video that illustrate the story of Barack Obama, that as a fetus, would have faced a broken home and if aborted, would never have been president.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c

This seems like a classic menu of logical fallacies, but I need some help in defining the exact ones. :confused:
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I don't see any logical fallacies involved, they're quite right - if he had been aborted as a foetus, he wouldn't be president.

You'd think the left-footers would've waited to see if he's a good president first. If he turns out to be the worst president of all time, they've made a good video for abortion.
 
KingMerv00 said:
I think it is partially an Association fallacy. They are right that Obama had great potentional but so did Stalin. Their unstated premise is that "potential=good".
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Exactly: they are basically suggesting that the world would be better without abortion (because some people who would do great things will never be born), but they neglect all the possible positive affects of abortion (not the least of which is women being able to make decisions about their own bodies!).

Basically the problem I see is showing one possible good associated with their viewpoint, and suggesting that this is all there is to the story.
 
KingMerv00 said:
Found it. The fallacy of the one-sided argument.

Do I win a prize Reality Believer? (Don't worry, I'll split it with you Robo.)
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Doubtful, I'm pretty sure a one-sided argument is not a fallacy. There generally has to be a logical flaw within an argument for an argument to be fallacious, not merely a second argument that is stronger.
 
quixotecoyote said:
Doubtful, I'm pretty sure a one-sided argument is not a fallacy. There generally has to be a logical flaw within an argument for an argument to be fallacious, not merely a second argument that is stronger.
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Yea, you are right. The video is a gross oversimplification of a complex issue but perhaps nothing else.
 
If Obama had been knocked down by a bus at 43, he wouldn't have become the first black President. If he had taken a job at a PR company rather than move to Chicago, he wouldn't have become President.

Hell, if Thomas and Nancy Lincoln hadn't have felt particularly horny on that night nine months before Febuary 12 1809, or Thomas Licoln's father had said 'not tonight' to a scantily clad Bathsheba, Obama wouldn't have become the first black President.
 
Perhaps the Christian position on abortion is based on the fact that their Messiah was a bastard child of a young woman who was married to somebody who wasn't the father? I mean, if she had had access and a choice, she might well have chosen to get an abortion. Then all the Christians wouldn't be Christian at all!

Hmm. That might also explain the Catholic position on birth control. God couldn't have knocked her up if Mary were on the pill. I wonder if he'd have worn a condom if she'd insisted? Although as far as the Bible reveals, both of them were virgins, although for some reason they only really make a big deal about Mary's being one.
 
slingblade said:
Please note, this also applies to every man I ever turned down for a date. Every one of them was only a potential human.
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Yes, well this is the ultimate result of what the RCC is saying. A woman ought to attempt to become pregnant at every possible opportunity.

Just think of the trillions of lives which haven't been born because every woman ever born hasn't had 18-25 children! How many Picassos, Betthovens and Einsteins have not been born because some stupid woman kept her legs shut!

It is your christian duty to get pregnant!

Undesired Walrus said:
Hell, if Thomas and Nancy Lincoln hadn't have felt particularly horny on that night nine months before Febuary 12 1809, or Thomas Licoln's father had said 'not tonight' to a scantily clad Bathsheba, Obama wouldn't have become the first black President.
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That, however, is a fallacy.

TragicMonkey said:
Although as far as the Bible reveals, both of them were virgins, although for some reason they only really make a big deal about Mary's being one.
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God wasn't.

He'd ****ed millions of people.
 
I don't know about the fallacy, but my response would be that if Barbara Bush had had an abortion, or at least used birth control...
 
skeptigirl said:
Who told these idiots all pregnant single women would have abortions if they could?
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The same idiots who basically forced single women to abandon their out-of wedlock children until the 1960's in my place to put them in their state-sponsored orphanages, where many got mentally, physically and sexually abused. :p

This was brought to you by a Catholic Theocracy. Imagine living in it for real !
 
Well, a near infinite amount of actions could have prevented Barack Obama's birth and career.
If either parent had found god, embraced the church and become a Nun/Priest, it also would have prevented his birth.

1) An abortion could have prevented the life and career of Barack Obama
2) Therefore, all abortion should end.

For one, this is a form of cherry picking, it uses a single piece of evidence for the possible consequences of an action and ignores the bulk of the picture.

An equally valid argument could be.
1) An abortion could have prevented the life and career of Charles Manson
2) Therefore, all pregnant women should abort.

In reality, most babies will not be a leader or a serial killer. Both possibilities are red herrings from the actual consequences likely from having or not having a baby.
 
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