CalPundit on the value of reasonable discourse:

I'd like to add one comment to Matt's. As much as I appreciate reasonable discourse, there is sadly little evidence that it is of any use. Most progress is made by outraged people yelling at the tops of their lungs and fighting for change, the completely unreasonable people who are willing to sacrifice everything to their beliefs. This can be both good and bad, of course, but there you have it. Historically speaking, we moderates are but spear carriers for our louder, brasher betters.

The screamers may be the straw-that-broke-the-camels-back, but would they have succeeded as well in the absence of the reasonable discourse of others? Put another way, the fact that Sullivan and others piled on to the boot-Lott bandwagon was an important part of removing him from power. But would they have done so without others pushing them in the background? Don't underestimate the utility of reasonable discourse. It may not tear down the palace walls, but it may inspire those who will lead the uprising.