It's not being dumb, it's about being strategic. Most people simply don't care about racism, but that doesn't deny the strength of creating a narrative. The average white person doesn't consider themselves racist, but if you bring up "black culture" there will be a number of racist stereotypes that create a negative view of black people. This has worked because of a very dedicated practice of propaganda by those on the Right. Over and over again these dogwhistles have been used to change the political dynamics of this country. You can claim that these groups aren't growing, but at the same time we can't deny that they are influencing political policies. Just look at those surrounding Trump. We have an AG that was denied a federal judgeship because of his racist ties just a few years ago. It's now acceptable to claim that anti-fascists and fascists are equally bad. This is just crazy.

Now the point of calling out the narrative is a part of teaching people about the facts. I'm not trying to go with the lowest common denominator nor about silencing potential allies. It's about creating a ladder of knowledge for people. It's about showing them the first rung, so they can recognize the shit that is all around them. If you don't make them aware of the manipulation and the motivation behind it, then there is no point in bringing out facts. It's like in this thread, there are a number of racists who are bringing up "facts" that end up being more "whataboutisms" to confuse the message. They are trying to steer the narrative. If you don't call them out for their overall end goals, then you are arguing with them as if their opinions are equally valid. And no, a racist is not equally valid as a non-racist, except in the eyes of the law. In a debate they need to be displayed as a racist that is confusing the subject.