What is a “red herring” anyway?

It is an observation that draws attention away from the central issue in an argument or discussion; an informal logical fallacy favored by those who don’t want to confront the real facts in a debate.

Red herrings are brought into a discussion to sidetrack the discussion. They are invariably irrelevant and is often emotionally charged. The participants in the discussion go after the red herring and forget what they were initially talking about; in fact, they may never get back to their original topic.

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