It's not a requirement, but it help to forment the self-loathing that is just under the skin of and a major motivating factor for most of these wackos.
BTW, I think it's time for this again: http://sixmeatbuffet.com/images/theirsoursbig.jpg (It's the "theirs vs. ours" image of conservative vs. liberal women -- don't know how to embed an image, so could someone else?)