In the New York Times, he writes that he tried for four years and it was a waste of time. A sample:

In Ohio, I spent 90 minutes on a drive to the airport with a retired Trump supporter. We were cordial to each other, we made jokes and we shared stories about our families. But neither of us changed our outlook.

He . . . expected this person to have a change in political outlook based on one medium-length drive with him? And decided it’s pointless to engage with 73-million-plus of his fellow Americans because they won’t rapidly convert to his point of view? I’ll give this much to his argument: Making small talk with people who have very different political views than your own is indeed an inefficient way to seek political victories.