The audience there is MUCH bigger. It's a more friendly and receptive audience here, but to win hearts and minds (and elections) we have to be willing to go into hostile territory.

Most people pay little attention to actual policy, which provides an opening in states with Dem trifectas to both quietly pass progressive agendas that don't poll well but would do material good once enacted (ie trans right) and also popular items where Dems are more trusted (ie social safety net).

It is true that the actual impact of a policy is more important than its intent, but this is a particularly meaningless anecdote. This is the functional equivalent of advocating for reducing SNAP benefits for millions because there are a compatively small number of people who scam the system.

The innie half or the outie half?

Absolutely. Guns are the best example and I wish Hollywood liberals would use their influence on this. No guns rights people ever move to a pro-gun control side position due to persuasion. But if movies stopped making guns look cool, future generations would not idolize them nearly as much.