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Empathy allows people to better understand the asshole which will cause them to hate the asshole even more.

Perceptiveness is not empathy, or else we wouldn't need another word for it. Hatred and empathy are not on the same ends of the emotional spectrum. The ability to perceive others emotions and simultaneously carry toward them feelings of anger, hatred, or malicious intent is not empathy. It's called something else.

It sounds to me like your idea of empathy is more akin to compassion.

Yes, they go together. Sociopaths are low in empathy but excellent at perceiving the emotional state of others.

Maybe highly empathetic people are the ones who feel for the people on the receiving end of the meanness most, so dislike the assholes most. The point is it could be many things, not just politics, so the external validity is questionable.

That's not being highly empathetic, that's being exactly like every other person.

Also, unironically taking joy in someone else's misfortune is pretty mean.

You can’t be highly empathic, yet not want people who mainly want to create strife to be given a podium?