I think it boils down to the difference between reason and emotion. Our rational capacity is deliberative. It makes decisions based on reasoned analysis of facts.
But it’s slow and rational choices aren’t always good for the real driver of human decision-making (gene propagation). So we also have things like instinct and emotions, which short-circuit our decision making process so that we don’t fuck up by deliberating too long. “Oh, a wife and kids will prevent you from reaching your financial goals on your preferred time table? Too bad. She’s ineffably hot and your balls are shutting down your brain for the next several minutes to make sure your DNA survives you and your smart little plans.”
Every single brilliant mind is vulnerable to dumbass emotion. We’re human beings, not computers. Politicians appeal to emotion because it’s more powerful than reason. Some of us insist on thinking through policy at a rational level, but emotion is inevitable. (Even many policies we liberals believe are rational are only so in the sense that they tend to favor outcomes that we emotionally prefer.)
My guess is that your friends indulge their emotional reactions to political issues, responding to things like fear, resentment, aggrievement, etc. They could think through issues logically, but it’s easier to go with their gut feeling. And they probably get a dopamine hit from it, to boot.