For many of these committed partisans, supporting their party was like being a rabid, die-hard fan of a favorite NBA, MLB, or NFL team; it was part of their own identity, and their team could do no wrong. They might hate a particular policy or a particular candidate—much the way they might blame their team’s coach for a bad play, or loathe an overpaid, underperforming player received in a trade—but short of the apocalypse they were going to remain loyal fans while wishing pain and humiliation upon their opponents.
