Your criterion for distinguishing an ad hominem argument is not at all valid. ... An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin: "argumen

Your criterion for distinguishing an ad hominem argument is not at all valid. ... An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin: "argument toward the person" or "argument against the person") is an argument which links the validity of a premise to an irrelevant characteristic or belief of the person advocating the premise. There is a difference between saying "cannibalistic child-molesting morons agree with that" and saying "thus it is false." That's why we have the term ad hominem: to distinguish between valid statements (i.e. "child molesters believe that the sky is blue and that encryption technology should be legal,") and invalid statements ("Thus, the sky is red and PGP should be banned."). You are complaining about something legitimate, but what you're complaining about is not ad hominem. The closest term is probably "rhetoric."