Yes, TL, yes and yes. That particular exchange was just gorgeous. I once made the mistake of discussing my opposition to the impending war with a woman in the bar (well, I made that mistake more than once, and with people of both sexes, but this particular exchange stands out). To every argument in favor that she raised, I offered a rebuttal based on fact, but, in the end, it didn't matter a jot. Even if she got my point when I made it, her brain instantly reverted to the mistaken positions she was used to holding. The exchange didn't end in fisticuffs, but it could have.
There's a great passage in Mark Helprin's A Soldier of the Great War in which the protagonist slowly and carefully lays out a series of arguments to show two other guys that they're wrong about something. They are persuaded at every point in his exposition but in the end simply repeat what they said at the outset. Sometimes, there's just no point. When I finally accepted that a few years ago--it took me a surprisingly long time--I moved one dangerous step closer to permanent residence in the slough of despond. Your news about the Republicans gives me hope, however, DfK.