Reality is a team sport, to some people.

Everyone here has asked ‘how can conservatives X when yesterday they Y?’ and then tricked themselves out of the obvious answer: they don’t care. Contradictions are meaningless, in their worldview. Truth is dictated by interpersonal trust. All that matters is ingroup loyalty. “Because” is just what you say before picking an excuse that sounds good.

If someone disproves your reasons for believing something, conservatives expect you to change your reasons, not your beliefs.

And they think that’s all we’re doing because they think that’s all there is.

This is a complete, internally consistent, and stable worldview. It is not fragile.

Rational argument is a learned behavior. Hypocrisy doesn’t bother conservatives because they are not arguing rationally. They mimic useful patterns to justify whatever they want next. I have no idea how to convince them we’re not just parroting phrases as part of some tribal word game, when I can’t even convince us that they aren’t really interested in states’ rights or small government.

These people are constantly telling you how they think.

Please believe them.