MEGAN MCARDLE: “I don’t know why people think I’m pro-torture, except that I suspect they are angry that the morality of torture can even be discussed; they want to put it in the same basket of questions we dismiss with visceral horror, such as ‘Child pornography: good for society?’ So even though I agree with them as a policy matter, and even as a moral matter, they are angry that I don’t agree with them in the right way.”

Yes, I’ve had similar experiences. It is not enough to have the right opinions. You must have them at the right time, and you must express them in a way that reflects people’s desire to feel good about themselves.