They certainly can dig in and the is no single solution for this. Over the years, I’ve helped many people adopt a more progressive worldview. I don’t have any debate tactics or strategies, because I’ve never come across any that worked for me.

That said, I can briefly share where I’ve found success. To begin with, it’s important that people know I’m on their team. This is usually accomplished by building a friendship on neutral ground, most commonly a shared hobby or interest.

In the confines of trust and friendship, I usually speak up when I disagree about an assumed worldview or political stance. By this time, they usually know me as a person and recognize I’m probably a little more ‘hippy’ than they are, so they’re not shocked or surprised when I disagree.

I never push beyond that vocal disagreement, however. If they ask for more, I explain why I believe what I believe. Over time this civil disagreement and discussion can become its own foundation for friendship.

The catch is to avoid what my brother calls firehosing, where I just inundate someone with all the reasons I disagree. There is usually a long list and people can find it emotionally traumatizing to have their worldview utterly pummeled by hitherto unknown facts and information. It makes them feel defensive and angry that they have no genuine response.

So I try to allow them to set the tempo of the discussion and stop whenever they’re unable to process further.

I lived in Lauren Boebert’s district of Colorado for many years. I know people who personally campaigned alongside her. I still know some of the most insane, disconnected people you’ll ever meet.

From that crowd I helped a several break out and become genuine champions for progressivism. Some of them are just less rabidly conservative than they used to be and still others are largely unchanged, but have at least learned that not all liberals are out to ruin America. The trick is to persuade without coercion, which is so difficult when the stakes feel as high as they are right now.

My best friend was a gun toting Republican who thought Democrats wanted to destroy the country when I first met him. Now, he’s sold off his guns, believes Democrats need to be more progressive and works in a courthouse to help those who need it most. He’s an incredibly smart guy and most of his growth is entirely his own, but he needed the help of a trusted friend to open him to the possibility of thinking differently.