Why would any mage want to get involved at all? All they should really care about are their spell books.
I mis-typed the god. None of my crusaders worship Talos, so have no real reason to care about he Stormcloak Cause. And Thalmor are evil.
"... All they
should care about are their spell books."
According to *you*. Like our friend from earlier, this is your personal bias.
Here, do this if you would, please check this out:
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Classes
So as you can see, there are literally *all kinds* of mages. A mage, is a profession. It sounds to me like you're really ref to a scholar. Mage is not necessarily a scholar. Remember, Intelligence and Willpower are not all that makes up a mage.
Take Drunken, he like his Mead apparently. And his stables. Yet he's involved in the war. What aspiring Mage majoring in the school of Destruction or Restoration wouldn't find a place in the war? If nothing else, to further their skills. Wars == Opportunity; Wars == Opportunity.
Your stereotypical mage scholar is a very limited view on what amounts to a profession that in Tamriel, applies to all walks of like and virtually any occasion.