I’ve posted this elsewhere so it’s a recycle(sorry about that). If they admit to themselves that they were wrong, and seriously wrong, then they might start wondering about what else they might be wrong (umm, incorrect?) about.
And where does that lead, Immigration, Climate Change? Were they wrong about Israel\Gaza? Were they wrong about Trump (the horror, the horror). Were they wrong about Socialism, Communism, China, Net Zero. The Population Bomb exploded in their face, ditto Peak Oil, And so on and so forth.
Deep down they can’t admit the people they consider inferiors (intellectually, morally, ethically, spiritually fillintheblankly) might have been correct. Once the Cascade Preference starts you don’t know where it will end. The horror, the horror, indeed.
By the way as the old saying goes With Friends like that who needs enemies. I believe the correct appellation is he was a Fair Weather Friend.