We are suffering from a national pandemic of ignoratio elenchi. That's a Latin term. In short, it means "ignorance of proof." In long, it's "a fallacy of logic of supposing a point proved or disproved by an argument proving or disproving something not at issue." Now, some folks actually are ignorant of the proof – – and of the truth. But others, who know better, exploit the masses' ignorance to profit either personally or for "their cause," or both.