Tactic of Politicking

The tactic of politicking occurs when political games are played to bring support from a larger population than those involved in the discussion. The problem is that tricks and deceptions are used to persuade rather than open-minded exploration of the truth and the reasons to believe the truth. Other logical fallacies are usually involved, especially appeal to ridicule.

Examples of the Tactic of Politicking

Bill Nye arguing against Creation science: “The question tonight is, does Ken Ham’s Creation Model hold up? Is it viable?”

Continuing the fallacies of marginalization, ad hominem, and bandwagon, Bill Nye misstated the debate topic. The question tonight had just been repeated by the debate moderator as: “Is creation a viable model of origins?” This has nothing to do with Ken Ham. However, fallacies are used because they are effective in manipulating people’s minds. Bill Nye was obviously playing to the crowd for political purposes (politicking). Of course, the actual topic would require Bill Nye to show that creation of the Universe by the Creator God is impossible, could not possibly have happened. Viable means possible or workable. There is nothing that is observed using the scientific method that in any way conflicts with divine, supernatural creation. So, as you will see, Bill Nye had to resort to tricks and fallacies to push his political agenda.

Bill Nye arguing against Creation science: "Now, one last thing, you may not know that in the U.S. Constitution, from the Founding Fathers, is the sentence to promote the progress of science and useful arts. Kentucky voters, voters who might be watching online, in places like Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas, please, you don’t want to raise a generation of science students who don’t understand how we know our place in the Cosmos, our place in space, who don’t understand natural law. We need to innovate to keep the United States where it is in the world."

"Kentucky voters, voters who might be watching online, in places like Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas, please," Bill Nye now reveals his real purpose as being political. He is looking for laws to help him with the tactic of message control. He doesn't want real discussion of this issue to be allowed, especially not in the schools. This is about message control and politicking.

"you don’t want to raise a generation of science students who don’t understand how we know our place in the Cosmos, our place in space, who don’t understand natural law. We need to innovate to keep the United States where it is in the world." Bill Nye is right. We don’t want to raise a generation of science students who don’t understand how we know our place in the Cosmos, our place in space, who don’t understand natural law. It is not a logical fallacy to use innuendo, but it can make it more difficult to tell if someone is being irrational. To use the logical fallacy of proof by repetition is irrational, however. Yet it works on some people. Bill Nye previously used this innuendo against what God says. Ken Ham showed videos of recognized scientists who are biblical creationists. (Interestingly, some Atheist websites have posted that this was an example of appeal to authority on the part of Ken Ham. It was not, because Ken was not proving that Creation was true using authority. Ken was showing that Bill Nye's claim that "no real scientists are creationists" was a false claim.) Then, Bill Nye repeated his innuendo. And, he continued to repeat this innuendo throughout the debate. See this excellent cartoon. We have raised several generations now that don't understand their place in the cosmos. They don't know they are children of God and that life has purpose and meaning. They have been taught naturalism, and the results can be seen in the coarsening of the society. Atheists have made headway, and we have seen atheist students going into schools killing other students to enforce natural selection--in their own words. With the direction set by an education system that teaches the precepts of atheism, the United States is heading toward the same place that every country that turns away from God goes. We see it in the lack of morals. We see it in the spread of incurable diseases. We see it in the attacks by enemies that are being allowed against this country. And we know, by revelation which He clearly gives through Scripture, that this is how God works. We are seeing it unfold before our eyes. That is a prediction. If we continue in the Secular Humanist direction, the nation will fail. If we turn toward Christ, the nation will be restored.

Bill Nye is using the logical fallacy of self-refutation, of conflicting conditions, in that his argument is internally inconsistent. He claims that the United States has made all these advances in the past, a past that used the Bible as a textbook in the schools, a past that had leaders who proclaimed Jesus Christ as Lord, a past in which most Americans would not have questioned the Bible's inerrancy. Then, he claims that if we don't stop doing this, the technical advances will stop. In fact, nearly every major branch of science was started by a young-Earth creationist. So, Bill Nye's contention destroys itself.

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