What is the name of this logical fallacy?

Factual Questions
21

I agree with brovolone that both of the examples cited in the OP can be categorized as an appeal to extremes. I don’t really think that ThelmaLou’s second example about alibis for murder can be categorized as a straw man argument, because they aren’t really to invalidate the original question/argument by replacing it with another that they can discredit.

In both cases, I would say that they were jumping to conclusions, which I suppose could be an example of a non-sequitur? Assuming the worst possible scenario isn’t always a logical fallacy though.

22

The case in the OP may be an example of the logical fallacy noted by, I think, Bertrand Russell, of trying to argue with an idiot.