> a lot of ideology based on "well party X took position Y because party V had position W back in year Z and they needed to be opposite and it stuck around". T

> a lot of ideology based on "well party X took position Y because party V had position W back in year Z and they needed to be opposite and it stuck around". That's not ideology: that's literally not at all what "ideology" means. What you're describing is dogma, and the fact that the two are often conflated in public perception speaks to the OP's point.