>> It's a bad argument because it's a bad argument
This is the fallacy of circular reasoning.
This is the fallacy of circular reasoning.
>>It's a bad argument because it's a bad argument[, not because it came from Cato]
They also imply the bad of the argument is obvious. I do not entirely agree and believe their comment would be improved with just a bit of work.
They did not seriously intend to present a circular fallacy.
Just saying.
Also, you're being too generous to assume there's an unstated justification for why it's is a bad argument. Pretty obvious that there isn't, they just assume anything said by the authors must be bad because tribes.
That's a common speech pattern and often the intent is basically as I stated.
Cato does, in fact, produce many bad arguments. Now they don't get it all wrong. They have produced good material. That said, I personally do not consider them reputable.
And if we want to be pedantic, "especially the part where they claim that the source has a history of bad arguments" would make my "argument" an ad-hominem fallacy, or perhaps poisoning the well, but not circular reasoning. But again, as I said, the argument is bad independent of the people who made it.