I know you don't mean to, and I know it's hard to avoid, but if you aren't careful you are going to hurt some people's feelings.

They get frustrated. They either have to make fantastic claims (we didn't lose the war in Vietnam, there is no AGW, the way to solve gun violence is to distribute more guns) or they have to come up with some form of "Oh, Yeah!! OH, YEAH!! followed by "Says who?"

Now they aren't stupid. They know how weak those are, and they know they haven't been right in a generation. But they can't admit it, takes too much courage, so they expect to be politely accepted, much like your dotty old aunt who sits in the rocker and barks at visitors. Every once in a while you say, "Now Aunt Harriet, you know that's not true." after she accuses your brother of robbing a bank. She still believes your brother robbed a bank, all evidence to the contrary.

Ah, yes, they also believe everyone is trying to cheat the government out of money except themselves and the larger corporations. Haliburton's no-bid government contracts and shoddy performances? It's a tough world there and they do as well as can be done.

As I said, it's hard NOT to hurt their feelings. Almost as hard as it is to take them seriously.