I am not an expert on Republicans, but I know a lot of them. Say what you will but if you want to "move" them talk to their pocketbook. There are a couple examples of this I will use below the fold, but just a story to start.
Joan wrote a diary about the Republicans in the House looking to go after light bulbs again.
Well years ago my father, who is nothing close to a liberal, went with me to Home Depot. They had like four energy efficient light bulbs on sale for $2.99. I was in my late 30s at the time, my father knows I am a liberal, but we know each other well. He knows when I tell him something I am not making it up. He can bet on it I am right. Said we ought to buy them all, great price and they will SAVE HIM MONEY. So we did. Changed every light in my house and his.
That was six years ago and only one of the bulbs we bought has failed. On the front porch of my dad's house, which is on a timer and runs like 10 hours a day.
My dad would not have bought these bulbs and used them if I told him he was saving the world. Instead it would save him money, and it did.
Where we don't debate well, we don't understand what "buttons" to push with moderate Republicans.
The Affordable Care Act. It would make your insurance less. You pay less when everybody is paying. Even better it might make this little company you founded better able to compete against a firm in a nation with government provided health care.
Food Stamps. SNAP. For every dollar spent on SNAP gives us back $1.57 to our economy.
You don't need to debate what we often do. That everybody should have health care. Children without food is a bad thing. I totally think those are amazing goals. But IMHO Republicans don't think that way. They don't react the way I might. You have to talk to their pocketbook.
We are better on all these issues. Yet we don't talk about it.