I agree that Republicans are a group identity with the group problems. Just be careful that "the Republicans" is not the "out group" of any group identity that

I agree that Republicans are a group identity with the group problems. Just be careful that "the Republicans" is not the "out group" of any group identity that you may participate with. The effects described by the OP can be subtle & sneaky & applies to everyone. Just like a seemingly innocuous bug or an abstract primitive can cause deep cascading ramifications in a complex system. Symbols or proxies for thought effect one's entire worldview without through examination.