"better uses of our energy". Yes, I think that's the right approach.

It's kind of like a lever. If you grip right at the fulcrum, it's hard to move - better to grip it towards the end. By the same token, it's hard to move the conservative mindset if you try to push on it right at the source. Better to push on it from farther away, e.g. on the moderates.

And you can use that approach when talking with an individual person, too. Rather than pushing directly on a belief that you know someone holds dearly, just nudge them a little on a more peripheral, loosely held, belief that you think might one day get them to shift a little on the more entrenched belief.