The indentities of individual FReepers has almost always been meaningless in all contexts. That thought will chafe a lot FReeper's butts but if it weren't true we would all use our real names instead of cute 'handles.'
We believe the ideas will stand on their own merits and should be judged accordingly.
A truly novel idea! /sarcasm
I predict you will encounter some resistance to that (looks like you already have) because most Americans, even on the right, are quite infatuated with the cult of personality. Ideas and principles are fine but "WHO is that guy/gal?" That's one reason the Constitution has taken such a beating. It is entirely based on principles and ideas.
There is no question that the left is far more mired in that kind of "follower" mentality. One only needs to look at their attacks on the Founder's personalities as some sort of proof that the Constitution is invalid or limited to see how shallow they are. But it is a human weakness that has reached its zenith in America and crosses most political and social lines.
I suggest you forge ahead on principle and let the star-crossed figure their own lot out.
Good luck!
There are some interesting theories regarding your point. There are some who believe this is a biologically hardwired phenomenon within our brains as part of the herding instinct. Some of you are no doubt familiar with Robert Prechter's work and the Elliot Wave Theory.
Some of this lies at the feet of "public education". People who lack a body of factual knowledge and who have not been trained to use their powers of deductive reasoning, have trouble forming opinions based on facts and logical reasoning. When you are not sure of what is right or confident about you should believe, it is comforting to know that others share your position regardless of merit or whether their judgment is any better than yours. Schooling behavior in lower animals and mob behavior are examples.
Everyone who reads this or subsequent articles are going to be given the background and the facts that are needed to make up their own minds for themselves. For those who need reassurances from others, rest assured, some of the material that you are going to see has been taken from conservative giants like Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich. Much will be taken from quotes of the Founders, some from Nobel laureates, and some from people who literally have "schools of thought" named after them.
If the material provided does not convince you, tell us why not! Please! Help us find the way to present our case in a way to convince anybody.