you have a point, especially when it comes to politicians of course. but adams isn’t a politician. he just a guy, and i think in that context especially, using people’s biases against them is an effective way to make a point. asking a question in a different way that reflects their thinking in order to get them to see what you see helps to undermine the silliness/pettiness of many arguments you hear thrown around without a second thought. it’s not even really as if they’re saying something other than what they really mean, because they really mean to throw your thinking back at you, but in a different light. that’s probably the oldest and arguably most effective way to counter a point since the invention of communication.