That's not really what I'm asking, but that's a good principle of course.

Ok. Well the people you described aren't actually real. All the folks accused of purity testing by centrists have specific concerns with specific candidates that materially impact their lives.

I think they exist, in that I have met them. They think of acts like voting as a sort of magical exercise that creates a sort of imaginary emotional tether to the candidate. But, of course I can't tell someone that a candidate doesn't affect them when of course they do, ie I also agree with you.

Liberals are the ones I've seen with parasocial relationships like that. I have no illusion regarding my connection to a politician. They're auditioning for a job and I'm appraising then.

Sadly I think this delusion affects some people of almost all political persuasions

I'm sure. I simply have far less occasion to encounter people who agree with me about politicians for such silly reasons than I do to encounter people who think we should be choosing politicians based on how palatable they are to open white supremacists.