I wouldn't say it's acceptable as a universal fact. It boils down to the fact that a subset of extremely partisan voters feel the need to rationalize being fans

I wouldn't say it's acceptable as a universal fact. It boils down to the fact that a subset of extremely partisan voters feel the need to rationalize being fans of politicians who are brazen frauds, and not just voting for them because they represent their will on certain key issues. Not everyone does this.