When a view aired by a person is easily contradicted by another by misrepresenting the position of the person's argument, it is known as a straw man argument. The term 'straw man argument' comes by opposing the original argument with a weaker version of it, so that it can be easily refutable. The term has been used in many political debates, where the opponent doesn't address the issue at hand, but misdirects it using a distorted version of the truth.
This term most probably comes from dummies or scarecrows used for target practice by the military. This is because a straw man can't defend himself easily, and the opponent wins the battle without any effort. In the United Kingdom, it is referred to as Aunt Sally, where patrons throw rocks at a mock old woman's head to knock it down.
The straw man argument is usually made by quoting things out of context, exaggeration, misrepresentation, and fabrication. Let's get a better understanding of the straw man argument with some examples.