From her survey:

>Another 85 percent of our respondents said critical thinking skills are generally lacking in the public. “Changing societal norms” was the most commonly cited reason for the lack of critical thinking skills.

I think the respondents were being loose with "critical thinking" here. Chronically talking past each other with bad faith doesn't require poor reasoning, it only requires a sense of spite and a need for emotional climax.

Fido may provide more love, but the blue birds provide more fight.