It has changed sounds so final. How about the change has begun?

Regarding your proposed response to a Sarah Palin fan, are you sure you truly "understand how (that person) feels"? It may be more productive to simply ask. Conservatives aren't the only ones who get wrapped up in mental models. I've found appreciative inquiry to be an exceptionally useful tool for breaking down psychological barriers and getting to the heart of what divides us. Conservatives and progressives share many core values. We simply differ in our approach to supporting those values. If we can start with the areas on which we agree, we might actually find that this doesn't have to boil down to an "us against them" mentality.