Proving my Ideology.

Hey, check this out -- it might explain some of the issues brought up in this thread:

Study explores distinction between 'different' and 'uncool'

Just as some products reveal our aspirations, there are other products that consumers avoid, lest we be associated with a particular group. An environmentalist would never buy an SUV. Baby boomers avoid products associated with being elderly. A recent Apple computer campaign framed PCs as bumbling and dorky. What’s the difference between products we actively avoid and those that are simply “not us”? A new study from the Journal of Consumer Research reveals an important distinction between non-membership in a group and groups with which we want to avoid association – and also highlights the mitigating effect of social pressure.

Although the above describes the psychology of consumer choice, I think the same mechanism may be in play with regards to ideology. Group psychology in action.