That might be true of politics and cable news, but I think active listening and being able to succinctly restate someone else's line of reasoning, position, fee

That might be true of politics and cable news, but I think active listening and being able to succinctly restate someone else's line of reasoning, position, feelings, or argument is incredibly useful in normal life. I find myself doing it several times a day, mostly in business meetings, but in personal things too. I don't think of it as a debate technique, but just a way to show to a person that you really are listening to them. That can be very effective. It's a great rule of behavior even for small disagreements or suggestions.