Fear mongering in politics

I know this tactic is effective with some people but why don't they ever get tired of it?
I think some of it comes from religion. If you have a belief system that constantly talks about how most of the world will end up in hell, and your parents treated you tough because they believe if you "spare the rod you spoil the child," then you never want to show any weakness. Whether it's god or your parents, you are always afraid of being caught doing something or thinking a thought you aren't supposed to. So you do what your parents expect. You take on a John Wayne persona of being a tough guy. Every discussion that introduces subtle nuances about how bad things are not easily traceable to the some simple boogeyman like foreigners are shoved aside. "That's just bleeding heart, snowflake arguments. It's fake and I don't accept it!"
I used to think Ronald Reagan was awesome by the way. I voted for Bush Sr. But in my twenties I realized that this kind of thinking was just making me a horrible person and I wasn't happy.