re: coffee shops
The college endless coffee shop debating society was fun in my twenties, but I haven't got time for that now, and neither do most of us.
Sometimes I wonder if part of our problem is that our political system tends to select for the types of people who have time to debate in coffee shops, and like doing it.
Back in my day, my hunting ground was the Student Union. Find somebody behind a table full of pamphlets and mess with their heads!
When I go into a coffee shop nowadays, there's no talking at all. Everyone is pounding on a laptop. Of course, they may just be debating with people in other coffeeshops...