The two RAT “friends” I know of are both of the above.
No one has mentioned peer pressure. We are social animals who must belong to, feel accepted by, a group of some kind. Especially now that the influence of the family is less than it used to be.
When the number of Democrats reaches a kind of critical mass, there is no longer any hope of convincing an individual to think for itself. This is why education must be dumbed down and more and more of the uneducated must be shipped in.
The response also becomes more emotional when someone threatens their peer group membership. I understand. It is frightening to be alone, and they are way too poisoned to even consider belonging to your group.