You're completely correct in all respects. However, we still need to understand it in order to fight it.

Their playbook is not very thick. They keep doing all the same shit, and we haven't adapted. Remember after the Trump impeachments the Republicans were saying "impeach" left and right about everything? They wanted to water down the term and the concept.

They want to say everything the Democrats might say ideally before they say it in order to take all the power out of it. It's part of the reason Dems seem feckless, because by the time they say something, the right has already been beating that drum for weeks. Even if it's a terrible drum for them that holds no water. Because the point isn't for them to say what they're saying; it's to make sure the Dems aren't heard when they say the same thing.

Unfortunately, the majority of the electorate is that sort of person, so you need to appeal to them. You've got to win the voters you have, not the ones you wish you had. That's why you need to keep your messaging simple (not saying that's an excuse to not do the work and actually have policies).