I don't feel like I'm being quiet about my political opinions.
I don't think you are, at least in my bubble of sorts. But when I look at it from a more open view, you are much more quiet than the vocal minority. Just look at public timelines from the bigger Mastodon instances. It's politics through and through. Also please don't take that as an invitation to be like them, because that will just make people laugh at you like they already do on these types. And for them it's deserved. I've never seen more unhinged political takes from the left than on here. It's feels almost unreal.
I feel like the worst people on all sides of the political spectrum are being put in the spotlight specifically because they cause the most controversy
Makes sense to me. Stupidity and controversy sells in $current_year.