Of course, is easier to maintain your belives if you see yourself as "moderate" or "apolitical". Is easier if you belive your line of toughts are share by a "silent majority" thus making it reasonable and moderate.

Just mental hops to affirm themselves.

Sounds a bit like insecurity to me, they don't see or feel themselves as in the position or capacity to justify what they belive in, so they refuge behind "Is just common sense" or "we are the majority", "is not political", basically a post modern rehash of the naturalistic argument.