The problem is that Tom Cotton represents a huge chunk of the American population. Those people don't just go away because NYT, FB, Twitter, etc. all collectiv

The problem is that Tom Cotton represents a huge chunk of the American population. Those people don't just go away because NYT, FB, Twitter, etc. all collectively deny them a voice. Instead, they quietly vote in Donald Trump. To the extent that these people might be a problem, sweeping them under the rug doesn't help the problem. If your goal is to reinforce the idea that you're right, and allow yourself to pretend that other people don't exist, then this is probably a good strategy. If you want to actually make a real change in the lives of people, you're going to need the help of the deplorables. Telling them to go fuck themselves is probably not a great strategy.