Stephan, most leftists I’ve met, just like most conservatives, are well-meaning. I’ve helped turn more than a few lefties into libertarians. I’ve taken anti-gun lefties shooting. I’ve shown anti-market lefties the inconsistency of their ways. And Norman, I never downplayed my opposition to welfare statism when doing it.

It’s not hard to maintain this consistency, given the rightwing origins of the modern welfare state. Certainly, the left is very statist, but not all leftists are unreachable. I can sympathize with many of them, when they think the only alternative is the right, which threatens liberty, just as I can sympathize with many on the right, who probably think the only alternative is the left, which also threatens liberty.

Most lefties I know think the government is too big. A good number of them thought this when Clinton was in power, too.