Take my conservative opponents.. please!

I've been seeing (and even been in the midst of) lots of discussion about whether to debate with conservatives now that their policies have been rejected, and if yes then whether to be 'civil'. In my usual way of "what works, is", I say you have to win before you can change the rules of the game (such as "the tone of the debate"). Here's an excellent summary of why I feel it's fruitless to take the right wing seriously these days. Among the excellent pieces to always remember: "You will always lose a game you do not realize you are playing."