I will explain again as has become the custom whenever I see a Bill Maher thread.... (((Bill))) exists to appeal to White Gen-X males who thrive on logic and reason and can see the long view as to keep them from leaving the democrat pasture. His round tables are supposed to remind one of uninhibited college dorm room debates. As such most of the time he has very reasonable takes as his mission is to build trust with the audience (which he will later cash in on). Other missions include taking bullets for Democrat politicians (see the episode where he is purposefully and bluntly uncouth so that Anthony Wiener can look like a progressive hero while coming off his text scandals) and parading an endless number of regressive MSNBC pundits and celebrities in front of the audience as to familiarize the viewer with their rhetoric/solidify the overton window and of course outnumber, badger and make a fool of any cuckservative guests. Even if Bill opposes one of these pundits what's important is making you believe that tons of other democrats endorse whatever radical shit they are pushing. Then election season comes along and Bill puts reason and logic aside and endorses Hillary Clinton vehemently even though he has long decried her as a power hungry establishment insider with no likability ridding the coat tails of feminism. From here he doubles down on the official party line, embraces all that MSNBC rhetoric and tries to 'gaslight' (I hate that term but it's accurate for this instance) you into coming along with him. The point of people like Bill and John Stewart (Bill is just Stewart but more big brain/serious) is to make you say "Bill has always been the voice of reason in the media, he makes me laugh with those truths of his when he tells it like it is, I guess I'm with her too." When the election is over and the dems start fucking shit up again he returns to playing "Bill the skeptical centrist" but mark my words he will be telling you to vote for Joe or Kamaltoe or Buttplug come '24.