"By denying the kernel of truth, his opponents effectively do his job for him by destroying their own credibility and thereby implicitly validating his mountain of lies."

This whole comment is a fantastic breakdown of the situation. But I think the above is best of all.

Funnily enough, it reminds me of Gay's apology after her congressional hearing. She admitted that she'd gotten drawn into a combative stance where she refused to give ground instead of giving the obvious answer that of course calling for the genocide of Jews was absolutely unacceptable.

I feel like a lot of people on the Left are in the same bind. Instead of just giving the obvious answer that of course kids shouldn't be segregated by race, of course children shouldn't be having their breasts cut off or being given cross-sex hormones, of course societies need police, they argue these brain-dead points because they don't want to feel as if they're giving ground to the "enemy."