Editing Damaging quotation (section)

{{Short description|Short utterance by a public figure; discrediting tactic}}
{{Globalize|article|USA|2name=the United States|date=May 2015}}

A '''damaging quotation''' is a ''short utterance'' by a public figure used by opponents as a [[discrediting tactic]]. These quotations may be inserted or alluded to in [[negative political ad]]s to discredit the character or intellectual ability of the originator. More typically, however, they are used in political [[logical argument|arguments]] by both politicians and political [[Pundit (politics)|pundit]]s often in ways which are [[fallacy|fallacious]]. These quotations are compiled into books or posted on the internet and are repeated in other contexts such as in [[talk radio]] or in the [[United States]] by stand-up comedians in late-night television monologues. The publication of these quotations is justified as a necessary part of maintaining an informed citizenry. In cases where the quotation in question is taken widely out of context it can be difficult for a candidate to find recourse, even though it is very easy to check the accuracy and the context of a quotation by using internet resources (such as [[Web search engine|search engine]]s); in popular jargon, the quotation (especially if humorous) can grow into a [[Internet meme|meme]].