Alright, I kind of went at it w/ a conservative today.

[Kennah]

128. As a former conservative, I think you did amazing.

Whether you punched soft or hard, you swung and connected, figuratively speaking. That is what matters. You have to use your own judgment in terms of how hard to push at any one time.

I think you provided a very factual response with surgical precision--no pun intended. It is pretty much an ideal sized response. Small enough for even a limited attention span reader to follow it to the end, and large enough that this woman is going to have to read, digest and think before responding--unless she just spouts off something incoherent.

There were a number of people over the years with whom I verbally sparred on the issues. In the moment, there and then, only bits and pieces would I concede, even if I knew they were right. Some of that is human nature, but there is also a facet of conservatism which does not really permit an alternative thought. The dismissive, "We'll just have to agree to disagree" is really a cop-out when one is out of ideas, and conservatives love it. I think too many on the left permit it to stand and don't go after it.

Collectively, everyone with whom I sparred, played a part in changing my thinking over time. It does not matter if you win a concession from a conservative or not. Fighting back eventually pays off.