> Untrue because 'very often' should instead be stated as 'sometimes'?

No, because he WAS reaching across an intellectual divide.

Would be curious to your reply to hnewsenjoyer's comment, as it captures my thoughts well. His willingness or lack of willingness to change his mind doesn't mean he wasn't facilitating the exchange of ideas or bridging intellectual gaps. He was doing politics the way it was supposed to be done in a liberal democracy.