Tu Quoque
This fallacy is Latin for “you, also,” which is effectively answering criticism with criticism. When your argument is challenged, you dodge the question and refocus it off of yourself. This fallacy is common with politicians, you see it most often when a reporter or pundit asks them a question, they then revert to standard talking points because it is far easier than handling a difficult or critical question. Consider this example:
“Mr. Senator, your opponent, Mrs. Congresswoman recently said your immigration plan is unrealistic and cannot stem the flow of undocumented immigrants coming into the country, how would you respond?"
“Well, Mr. Reporterfellow, my opponent has not yet proposed a plan herself, I don’t think it’s reasonable for
her to make those claims.” Instead of addressing the claim of his opponent, he instead criticized her positions, effectively dodging the question.
An instance of Tu Quoque within Florida-related politics resides with Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton, both of whom are running for the 2016 Presidential Election. In the past year, there’s been controversy surrounding Clinton’s emails, primarily regarding Hillary having a private email server, despite being a public servant. In an attempt to run interference, it was released that Jeb Bush also owns his own email server. While these both are valid criticisms, switching the spotlight to Bush was a clear attempt to avoid scrutiny on Clinton’s part.