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Full coverage of the 2022 Arizona U.S. Senate debate between Mark Kelly and Blake Masters.

By Grace Lovins and Charlotte Jones
10/30/2022 • 08:34 AM EST

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: Click or tap on any techniquesee definition - the definition will be displayed here.
 that appears in bold to show its definition.
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: While Kelly has supported most Biden policies, he hasn't backed Biden every single time.[1]
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: While Masters once brought up social security privatization as an option for future generations, he never suggested doing it now.[2]
: common folksee definition - establishing a connection with an audience based on being just like one of them and being able to empathize with their concerns.
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: While Masters once brought up social security privatization as an option for future generations, he never suggested doing it now.[2]
: half truthsee definition - a statement that is essentially true, but lacking critical information and presented as the whole truth.
: Masters blames only Biden's policies for giving rise to inflation, while ignoring the greater stimulus spending that occurred under Trump.[3]
: half truthsee definition - a statement that is essentially true, but lacking critical information and presented as the whole truth.
: Masters mentions Biden energy policies for oil prices surging, while ignoring greater contributing factors like Covid and the war in Ukraine.[4]
: half truthsee definition - a statement that is essentially true, but lacking critical information and presented as the whole truth.
: Masters blames stimulus spending only under Biden for giving rise to inflation, while ignoring the greater stimulus spending that occurred under Trump.[3]
: passing the bucksee definition - shifting blame onto someone else for self-exoneration or to direct attention away from those really at fault.
: For inflation only to Covid, when many economists say the decision to flood the economy with stimulus money helped fuel inflation.[5]
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: While Masters once brought up social security privatization as an option for future generations, he never suggested doing it now.[2]
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: While Kelly has supported most Biden policies, he hasn't backed Biden every single time.[1]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: If the IRS uses the funds to hire new agents, it won't be immediate, but over 10 years, to replace 50,000 IRS agents who will be retiring.[6]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: While Mark Kelly voted for stimulus checks under the American Rescue Plan, he never voted to send those checks to illegal aliens.[7]
: fear-mongeringsee definition - spreading exaggerated rumors or dire warnings of impending danger to arouse fear and undermine rational thinking about an issue.
: Warning that all the IRS agents hired will be indiscriminately auditing everyone by this time next year.
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: Kelly rejected a GOP proposed amendment that required hiring 18,000 border patrol agents BEFORE a single IRS agent could be hired.[8]
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: While roughly $1 billion was granted for Customs and Border Protection, only about 10% went toward increasing border patrol agents.[6]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: Kelly voted against an amendment that required hiring 18,000 border patrol agents BEFORE a single IRS agent could be hired.[8]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Record numbers of illegal aliens when they cross the southern border are arrested and over 1/3rd are deported.[9][10]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Undocumented immigrants are not treated better than U.S. military service members.[11]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Arrests along the southern border for 2022 are the highest ever recorded and about 36% of those crossing the border are deported.[9][10]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Kelly's action taken while in office indicate he does not support open borders and has pushed Biden to do more.[12]
: guilt by associationsee definition - using an opponent's links to another to assign the other's beliefs, misdeeds, or other unattractive qualities to the opponent.
: Masters uses the current state of illegal immigration on the southern border to identify Kelly with Narco-terrorists.
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Arrests along the southern border for 2022 are the highest ever recorded.[9][10]
: baseless claimsee definition - a bold statement that is presented as accepted or established fact, with no discernable evidence to support the claim.
: 90% of border patrol agents would say they are disgusted with Mark Kelly.
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Arrests along the southern border for 2022 are the highest ever recorded.[9][10]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Arrests along the southern border for 2022 are the highest ever recorded.[9][10]
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: While Kelly did sponsor a bill that would allow abortion up until the moment of birth, it would be only if the life of the mother is at risk.[14]
: guilt by associationsee definition - using an opponent's links to another to assign the other's beliefs, misdeeds, or other unattractive qualities to the opponent.
: Masters uses Kelly's vote for the Women's Health Protection Act to identify him with Warren, Sanders, AOC, China, and North Korea.
: projectionsee definition - accusing an opponent of using the same underhanded tactics or committing the same misdeeds the accuser is guilty of.
: Masters, who just recently changed his radical positions on abortion, accuses Kelly of having radical positions on abortion.[15]
: red herringsee definition - throwing an irrelevant fact into an argument to divert attention from the real issue at hand.
: Masters brings up the positions he has on his website now, which has nothing to do with the positions he had on his website two months ago.[13]
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: While Kelly's legislation would allow abortion up until birth, it would be only if the life of the mother is at risk.[14]
: red herringsee definition - throwing an irrelevant fact into an argument to divert attention from the real issue at hand.
: Masters brings up Arizona's 15-week law and Graham's bill on abortion, which both have nothing to do with the position he held on abortion two months ago.[13]
: ad hominemsee definition - attacking the character or motive of the person making an argument, rather than attacking the argument itself.
: Kelly attacks Masters' character, instead of attacking Masters' positions.
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: While Kelly's policy would allow abortion up until birth, it would be only if the life of the mother is at risk.[14]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: The FBI warned Facebook and other big tech companies about amplifying Russian disinformation before the election and played no direct role in suppressing the Hunter Biden story.[16][17]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: The FBI didn't "work with" big tech and big media to censor the Hunter Biden laptop story. Big tech did that independently.[16][17]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: The FBI was not "working with" big tech or the media and played no direct role in suppressing the Hunter Biden story. Big tech did that independently.[16][17]
: honor by associationsee definition - defending or championing cultural sacred cows, which transfers the respect, authority, sanction, and prestige associated with those symbols to the defender.
: Veterans, the military.
: appeal to compromised authoritysee definition - insisting something is true because an expert on the issue says it's true, when that expert has a vested interest in the outcome.
: The statistics Masters cites are from his own "internal" polling.
: appeal to traditionsee definition - suggesting that moving away from or abandoning long-standing practice could have detrimental or even dangerous implications.
: Of using gender pronouns strictly according to someone's assigned sex at birth.

Total number of techniques detected over the 56:53 runtime of this video clip:

PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES

10 OCCURRENCES

ad hominem:  
appeal to tradition:  
common folk:  
fear-mongering:  
guilt by association:    
honor by association:  
projection:  
red herring:    

FALSEHOODS & DISTORTIONS

28 OCCURRENCES

appeal to compromised authority:  
baseless claim:  
exaggeration:  
false claim:                
half truth:      
misleading claim:            
straw man:                

SUMMARY

38 OCCURRENCES

Masters: 77%
Kelly: 21%
Viktor: 3%

References
1. "Mark Kelly's breaks with Biden pile up". Politico. Published: April 05, 2022.

2. "Blake Masters “wants to privatize” Social Security.". Politifact. Published: October 28, 2022.

3. "Fact-checking Republican attempts to blame inflation on Democrats". CNN Politics. Published: August 06, 2021.

4. "Republicans Wrongly Blame Biden for Rising Gas Prices". The New York Times. Published: March 09, 2022.

5. "Rapid Inflation Fuels Debate Over What’s to Blame: Pandemic or Policy". The New York Times. Published: January 22, 2022.

9. "Arrests along U.S.-Mexico border top 2 million a year for the first time". Texas Tribune. Published: September 19, 2022.

13. "VERIFY: Where does Blake Masters stand on abortion?". KPNX-TV 12 News. Published: August 16, 2022.