Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Praline Topping, or a Thanksgiving Playbook for Leftists Going Home for the Holidays

It’s that time of year again, when we find ourselves making the journey home or to the houses of loved ones to gather for The Great Feast. Thanksgiving. Some of those ones are harder to love than others, however, especially during these trying times.

Whether it’s a malicious pot-stirring uncle that gets a thrill out of riling everyone up or a woefully misinformed grandmother who would have her heart in the right place if only she didn’t have access to a Facebook account. In both cases, there is an opportunity to reach across the aisle and at least attempt a civil conversation if confronting misinformation is to be forced upon you, anyway.

So, while the footballers are passing the pigskin this year on the massive tv that occupies every boomer’s living room, this article aims to help prepare you with defense and offense of your own to reach across the great divide—of the dinner table.

Charlie Kirk and the Right Wing Media Machine

Offensive Strategy (Bring It Up Gently)

“Have you noticed how some online personalities are getting really good at making outrage entertaining? I’ve been trying to pay more attention to how they frame things. It’s wild how often they leave out context. I’ve found it helpful to compare what they say with supplemental information from trusted unbiased sources or longer reporting. There is often so much important information missing.”

Why it works:

You’re not attacking Kirk directly—you're critiquing the media and the wildly speculative 24 hour news cycle, pointing out the flaws therein, and inviting the other person to join you in being thoughtful.

Defensive Strategy (Correct Without Combating)

“I’ve heard that talking point, too—I get why it sounds convincing. I looked into it a bit because I wasn’t familiar with Kirk and Turning Point USA. The fuller picture is actually more complicated than the way the talking heads present it. Want to hear what I’ve found?

Why it works:

You validate their feelings but not the misinformation and you ask permission before plowing on, presenting information in a casual conversation versus hostile debate.

Tariffs, Inflation and The Cost of Living

Offensive Strategy

“Groceries and gas have been kicking my butt, too. Something that surprised me is how much tariffs and corporate price-setting can nudge costs up. It’s not just the White House—it's global supply chains and companies wanting to prioritize profit over people. I’ve been trying to understand it better because it’s affecting all of us.

Why it works:

You start from shared experience—everyone is feeling the prices—so it doesn’t sound partisan.

Defensive Strategy

“I totally get the frustration—prices really are out of control. But when I looked into it, a lot of the blame gets pointed at the wrong place. Corporations have been using global disruptions as an excuse to jack up prices way beyond their own cost increases. That’s not ‘inflation’; that’s price gouging.

And the funny thing is, when you look at the data, company profits have been hitting record highs while regular people are struggling. So I’m not saying the government gets everything perfect, but a huge chunk of this is corporations choosing profits over people. That’s why policies that actually regulate price gouging matter.”

Why it works:

You acknowledge their frustration but gently widen the lens.

ICE, Border Issues and Immigration

Offensive Strategy

“I’ve been trying to understand what’s really going on with immigration because the headlines make it sound scarier than it is. Honestly, once you look into it, most people crossing are just families trying to survive. And our system is so outdated and understaffed that it practically creates the chaos politicians complain about.

I’m starting to think the humane approaches—like streamlined processing and legal pathways—would make everyone safer. The cruelty just seems expensive and ineffective.”

Why it works:

You introduce progressive ideas through practicality and empathy, not ideology. You frame humane policies as solutions rather than coming across as “bleeding heart liberalism”.

Defensive Strategy

“I get why immigration feels chaotic—but a lot of that chaos is created on purpose by politicians who want to scare people. When I looked into the numbers, most migrants are families seeking safety, not criminals. And how is rounding up people that are attending their own immigration hearings—doing it the “right way”—or people at work or school supposed to help find criminals anyway? ICE’s harsh tactics actually make things worse by clogging the system and treating human beings like threats.

We’d have a much safer and more orderly border if we focused on humane pathways to citizenship—not punishment. Cruelty is not a solution.”

Why it works:

You correct misinformation by shifting the blame toward policy failures and political fearmongering instead of the migrants themselves.

Epstein Files and Conspiracy Culture

Offensive Strategy

“You know what’s been on my mind? The Epstein stuff—it's all over the media but everyone seems to be having wildly different takes. It’s not the conspiracy theories that stick with me, but how it really shows that wealthy, powerful people can get away with almost anything. It’s a reminder that the real issue is how much protection rich people get from the system.

I wish we talked more about holding those people accountable instead of getting lost in rumors. I wonder why some people are above the law. Wasn’t it meant to be Liberty and Justice for ALL?”

Why it works:

You shift the focus from conspiracies to systemic power and accountability, which disarms conspiracy-minded relatives without mocking them.

Defensive Strategy

“I’ve heard a lot of the conspiracy stuff too—but honestly, the main scandal is already terrible enough, and it’s about something the right rarely wants to admit: wealthy, connected men exploit their power with almost zero accountability.

The people pushing wild theories online are distracting from the bottom line, which is that our justice system protects billionaires and powerful people and lets them operate above the law. If we focus on what’s documented—the money trails, the political connections, the cover-ups—that’s more than enough reason to demand major reforms. We don’t need the speculative stuff when the real story is this bad.”

Why it works:

You don’t dismiss their suspicion—you validate their instinct to distrust those in power but guide them toward fact-based conclusions.

Zoran Mamdani and Democratic Socialism

Offensive Strategy

“I’ve been paying attention to some of the more progressive Democrats like Zoran Mamdani. I appreciate how he talks about things everyday people deal with—rent, healthcare, public transportation—and backs it up with real numbers and plans.

A lot of what gets the big scary “Democratic Socialism” label is just trying to make life more livable for working people. When you look at the policies instead of the label, these solutions are pretty practical.”

Why it works:

You make democratic socialism sound like common sense solutions, not a scary ideology and you normalize progressive leadership through specifics.

Defensive Strategy

“I get that the word ‘socialism’ seems loaded to some people—mostly because it’s been used to scare folks for decades—but when you look into what people like Mamdani are actually proposing, none of it is extreme. Things like affordable housing, fair taxes, and public transit that works are all things most stable countries already provide.

If we dropped the label and just looked at the policies, most people would find themselves agreeing with them.”

Why it works:

You challenge the fearmongering around the word ‘socialism’ while emphasizing material benefits and real world success, making the ideas less abstract and more relatable.

With these strategies I hope you have a very happy and hopefully peaceful Thanksgiving and if it does devolve into screaming chaos, be sure to yell that you heard Ghislaine had a horse named Bubba, amen.

I leave you now with a sweet potato casserole recipe that I stole from my family, most of whom I will not be visiting this holiday season. It is the perfect dish to bring to a gathering as it travels and reheats beautifully! Enjoy.

Recipe, As Promised: Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Praline Topping

Ingredients:

• 4 cups canned sweet potatoes, drained

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 eggs, beaten

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 Tbsp flour

• 4 Tbsp butter, room temperature

• ½ cup milk

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• ⅓ cup flour

• 3 Tbsp butter, frozen or as cold as possible

• ½ cup pecans, chopped

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, flour, butter, milk and vanilla. I like to use a potato masher to really smash up the sweet potatoes then finish stirring with a rubber spatula.

Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish and pour in your mixture.

Next, prepare the topping by rinsing out the big bowl and in it, mixing together the brown sugar, flour, butter, and chopped pecans using a pastry cutter or fork until it is all crumbed up nicely. *Sometimes I double the topping recipe if I’m feeling extra festive.

Sprinkle this over your potato mixture and pop it into the oven for 30 minutes.