I’d like to ask a serious question to LGF readers:

How can sane, rational people successfully persuade individuals involved in the Tea Party Movement that there are massive and dangerous flaws with their beliefs and the tack they are taking?

The first inclination is to declare the members as beyond hope.

Then, maybe in person or online you’ve engaged with a few (they pop up here every now and then), and you bombard with facts and logic. This generally fails.

You then go back to your first inclination.

The issue is that ignoring and/or lambasting this group, while cathartic, doesn’t solve any of the issues. They’ve become a loud minority that has (at the moderate end) helped jam up the legislative process, and (on the extreme end) threatened or actively performed violent acts.

Logic hasn’t worked, ignoring them hasn’t worked, and they’re a dangerous (and growing?) group that has the potential to impact the path the country takes in the next 5-10 years.

How can they be shown the light?