This is Politics 101 in recent times. What I see are people who watch news programs, listen to radio shows, and frequent websites that ONLY reflect their opinion and then convince each other through the echo chamber that the majority view is not being represented. Like it or not, the vast majority of people in this country react more to the tone of a person than the actual issues being discussed or the ‘facts’ presented. This majority is likely to reject either side solely upon first impressions.

I’ve always thought that a better approach is to review what is being proposed and then talk through a either a current example or a projected scenario, covering exactly where the pitfalls and weaknesses of the other side are. For example, with the AGW crowd I emphasize that I am in favor of reducing pollution and exploring energy alternatives and point out that I don’t have to adopt the idea that the planet is coming to an end to agree on steps that can be taken.