This study aims to describe polyphonic strategies used in polemical dialogue. The forms of polyphony that occur in polemics are presented, i.e. strong and conflicting polyphony, which are both forms of dialogic polyphony (Vlad 2010); these are followed by an analysis of the polyphonic strategies adopted by Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal in the debate for the French 2007 presidential election. Using strategies such as quotation, echo reply and manipulation, the debaters evoke their opponent’s arguments as a prelude to knocking them down. The author of the distorted discourse may also denounce such malicious discursive practices, situating polemics at the metacommunicative level.