Reply #5: It works for them because it gets media attention.

[BillZBubb]

They attack, Democrats react. That is the dynamic that they love. The media loves controversy, so the media covers the exchange. The wingnut is seen attacking, relentlessly. The Democrat is seen trying to play defense. Once this theater is repeated a million times, the public sees the Republicans as strong and unwavering in their beliefs (even though they lie, exaggerate, and smear). The Democrats are seen as defensive, unsure of themselves, and without a plan.

That's what our leaders never have grasped and why the Republicans, in spite of unpopular positions, continue to win. It's not the subject or hypocrisy that is weighed by the public, it's the dynamic of strength and aggressiveness versus timidity and defensiveness.