>Is this a new
>thing, circa 2016?

It as old as politics.

>Is it a bad thing to have politics tied into your identity?

The material facts of our lives depend on the political order. Until that changes, the answer is "no".

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"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad