Gish gallop
Also called: Firehose of claims
Piling up so many claims, so fast, that the other person can't answer them all, then treating the unanswered ones as won.
How to spot it
A quick, long list of points, most of them thin, with no time to check any of them.
Example
In one minute: “The dam is unsafe, it costs triple, it kills the fish, the engineers were paid off, nobody voted for it, and it failed in another country.” Six claims, each needing its own answer.
How to answer it
Pick the one or two strongest claims and answer those properly. Say plainly that you won't be hurried through the rest, and ask for their best single point.
Related
- Red herring: Slipping in a different topic to lead the discussion away from the point.
- Proof by assertion: Repeating a claim, more firmly each time, instead of supporting it.
- Cherry-picking: Showing only the evidence that supports your case, and leaving out the rest.