Never saw it described like that but yea I absolutely try to do that. If I think someone is persuadable, then I try to disarm them first. Empathy is key. If you wont' make an effort to try to understand the world through their eyes then you can't persuade.
Most people's political views become part of their identity. That means an attack on their views feels like a personal attack. As long as those defensive walls are up, nothing you say - no matter how "right" or logical it is - will get through.
Most partisan types have a really hard time accepting any analysis as "non-partisan". Confirmation bias causes them to prop up any argument they agree with, and partisanship allows them to discount any argument they disagree with because "clearly the author has an agenda."
As soon as you give evidence to confirm that you are a partisan, you're done. You're opinion is in the trash. So you have to reach for some common ground first. Try to understand and re-affirm parts of their argument. In other words, try to LEARN from them, no matter how wrong you're convinced they are.
A sort of internal Devil's Advocate works well. Don't make your goal to change their mind, try to change your own mind to their position. As you add layers of logic and reason to their less-rational partisan position, there's a good chance they come along with you part of the way. You've built up a much more defensible argument on their side but as a result they've been pulled a little closer to the center. You may also discover that your position is not as well defined as you thought going in.
