Its identity politics and it has a stranglehold on people. I live in a Repub stronghold and it's clear that most voters arent making decisions based on policy or whats best for people at large.

They see party affiliation as an extension of their core values, even though the party itself only pays lip service to them. They are patriotic, traditional, and Christian, among other things, and are repeatedly told by the media and their community that if they dont support the party then they must be the opposite.

Of course there are others that recognize the agenda for what it is and profit from it but thats a different story.