There are good points and bad points to Ben.
He was nervous meeting Maher (and visa versa) and there is a line where you and the other guy have to meet with good give and take, and I think Ben accomplished that — in other words, he wasn’t proselytizing and uncivil nor was he a push over.
They both need each other in different ways: Ben is new and expanding and Maher is old and needs something new so that he doesn’t shrink.
Maybe it was good for the nation to see two people from different camps on the edge of a supposed civil war talking in a civil and productive way. It shows tolerance, respect... and hope.
Ben didn’t do that great with the audience incitement question. When Maxine says (incites) “impeach” there is no evidence for impeachment (unless winning an election is all the evidence needed), but when the Trump crowd says “Lock her up” there is plenty of evidence of Hillary wrong doing. Ben should have pointed out the difference rather than tacitly admitting the charges are equally valid.
I think Ben gets a kick out of Trump, especially when he mimics him. When you mimic it does show a certain fondness. I think Trump will grow on Ben and Ben will evolve in his thinking about Trump to a Scott Adams understanding of Trump. Ben should see Trump as he sees the Bible — both are deceptively simple on the surface, but there are amazing undercurrents which many will never know.
Brilliant comment, BEJ. Shapiro has been laden with quite a bit of emotional baggage with his initial hatred of Trump. He has been slowly coming around, as you say. His stance now seems to be: “I like the policies, but not the man.” But Ben is smart enough to realize: with leaders, policy should be the only consideration.