What I’ve found in my dabbling (and it is very compelling…I’ve had to fight to keep myself out of it) is that the argument becomes the product I’m selling, not a conversation or a quest for truth. Extending the argument forever becomes in both parties best interests. The only thing thing that matters is whatever my opponent said last. You just dig deeper and deeper, and you always feel like you’ve won, but you’re actually always driving people deeper into their pre-conceived sides. Empathetic, thoughtful conversation can convince and find truth, but it can’t happen with hot-button issues in public forums because the goal is never to listen and empathize, it is to win. And the side that does the most listening and is the most empathetic is the side that is losing in the format of a debate.