I think of many of those things are "tribal markers". By publicly taking a stand for/against certain things, you show you're a loyal member of the Blue Tribe.

I think of many of those things are "tribal markers". By publicly taking a stand for/against certain things, you show you're a loyal member of the Blue Tribe. One important thing about that is that the weirder the stance is, the stronger the loyalty signal is. Saying something borderline idiotic that the Tribe likes, shows you're ready to publicly humiliate yourself for the tribe, which earns extra credit. I'm not at all saying this is the only thing in play here, but once you realize this is a "thing", it makes some crazy things seem less crazy.