A speaker who criticizes a person rather than the issue at hand is guilty of the ad hominem fallacy—an attack on the person instead of on the person’s arguments. From the Latin meaning “to the man,” the ad hominem fallacy is a common feature of political campaigns. For example, if a speaker says, “Terry Malone is the better candidate for district court judge because she is happily married, whereas her opponent just kicked his wife out of their house,” the argument is focused on the individual and not the person’s particular qualifications for the job.