But who wants to be a politician? It's also noteworthy that most politicians of note succeed by demonizing their opponents. Rage is a vastly more motivating emotion than agreement. Highlighting "the other" as the cause of strife mobilizes opposition. Making friends is a sign of weakness. Remember, we're talking politics, here. In practical terms, we're talking about the internet: where your audience is rarely the guy you're talking to. Where someone can decide they hate your guts for something you wrote (that they didn't understand) three years ago. The "reasonable people" are never the problem: the problem is people who think they're reasonable but start their discussions with "you don't know what you're talking about." Making them your enemies is simply efficient.