Change the subject
Four different types explained
"You want a fair wage? Why, when I was your age, I had to walk 12 miles to school and back, uphill both ways". What does that change? Conservatives love to throw irrelevant information into debates to muddy the waters. They'll mention that nature causes pollution. Animals sometimes kill people, but that's no reason to legalize murder. Or, they'll mention that pollution existed in the past - though they're the only ones who believe in the "good old days". We don't like workers being ripped off by their bosses, or women being mistreated by men. Conservatives would say that it's possible for workers to exploit the company, or women to mistreat men. Whether that's true or not is irrelevant- we don't want anybody to exploit anybody. It seems natural to right-wingers that the best way to end your exploiting is to exploit someone else - this makes it very hard for them to understand leftists.
Conservatives talk about the Rodney King video (which they apparently watched with relish) instead of considering the reasons that black people are actually angry. ("The videotape of the Rodney King beating played absolutely no role in the conviction of two of the four officers. It was pure emotion that was responsible for the guilty verdict." -Rush Limbaugh (Radio show, quoted in FRQ, Summer/93) ("Jury Foreman Says Video Was Crucial in Convictions" - Los Angeles Times headline (4/20/93).)
Another tactic monopolized by the right
"Oh boo-hoo, an innocent person was executed...Surgeons lose patients all the time" Could you imagine someone defending abortion this way?
"If Pat Buchanan is an example of a racist, name a political candidate that is not a racist?" - Anon. Usenet conservative
The only reason I can't list a million examples is because to change the subject, one must be in a debate. Few conservatives do this - see the straw man tactic.
Of course, the ultimate way to change the subject is to attack with smear-words and accusations. Clinton hasn't gotten around to saying anything significant in two terms because of the never-ending accusations. (The impeachment tends to make us forget the smaller accusations from before: whitewater, sexual harassment, even murder - and the last charge has nothing to do with capital punishment either.)
Just because right-wingers use this tactic doesn't mean they're wrong.
They're wrong for completely different reasons. Keep reading.