It's a bizarre thing to have to keep in mind but much of the political discourse in the US comes down to bumper-sticker rhetoric and ill-informed talk radio catering to the gullible. Nuance is a highly suspect Euro-liberal commodity.

That's why it's 'unpatriotic' to criticize the government if it happens to be Republican, and if you're against the war it actually means you personally hate every single serviceman and -woman and OMG how could you be so evil, support the troops!, blah blah honk wheeze.