Nine Lessons of Russian Propaganda

[Igel]

3. He can talk.

He can't make us listen.

And if he listens, he can't make us understand him the way he wants to be understood.

A lot of people aren't aware of the first point, and feel like they must listen; and having listened, they take what he says at face value because it suits them--if it's negative about something they don't like, it must be true; if it's positive about somebody they don't like, it must be true (and part of a conspiracy).

Little enough falls into the other categories--positive things about what they do like, negative things about what they don't like. And of those, only the former would create any cognitive dissonance, and that only if they be listening.