Will you let politics get in the way of friendships?

[DanimalBr]

Okay.  I want to ask this quesiton of everyone here, regardless of your own political views.   You at my last job, I had a great relationship with my boss and co-workers.  We were friends both on and off the job.   I enjoyed working with them, except for one thing.  Nearly all of them were Bush-Bashing Democrats.  And quite often when we'd go out to lunch or dinner, politics would come up.   And they'd start with their Bush bashing.  For most of the time, I kept my mouth shut cause I didn't want any heated arguements.  They knew where I stood, but I didn't want to make too big a fuss out of it.  Two of them were really passionate about their politics, and me being outnumbered, I felt it a lost cause.  Then as the election got nearer and nearer, the bashing got worse and worse.  Then finally on my last day, we all went out to lunch and it started again and I just couldn't take it anymore and I fired back.  The argument was very heated and very debated.  I have since left that job and gone on to something else, but I never again heard from anymore of my co-workers at that job again.    It may or may not be related to the politics debate.

Now I'm sure some of you have had similar experiences.  So I ask this of you all, how important is standing up to your political views for you?  If you were out at dinner or lunch with a bunch of friends or co-workers felt very passionantly different with politics than you did, would you stand up for your beliefs and risk adding friction to the relationship you have with those people?  Or would you just sit back and be quiet and say "Politics is not worth losing a friend over."

Where do you stand?

[Leif Ericson]

Option 2

[nclib]

It really depends on the individual and how respectful they are.

[Jake]

Most likely not

[angus]

oh, heavens no.  I go kayaking almost every weekend with a dear man, a microbiologist from ontario, who is a raging authoritarian leftist.  He's anti-bush, but not anti-angus.  we agree to disagree.  we're smart-aleky with each other, of course, and pick at each other a bit, as you'd imagine, but I respect him and I like to think he respects me.

[John Dibble]

If a friend doesn't respect the fact that you have a differing opinion, can you really say they are a friend at all?

[Gabu]

I generally don't talk about anything political unless specifically asked, and even then I usually just agree with the person I'm with.  I'm not much of a debater and generally don't like getting into arguments.

[TeePee4Prez]

I live in a political powder keg.  The discussions/rants me and Phil have could extend into friendships very easily.  I choose to keep discussions to a minimum.  I have a Specter-like conservative best friend.  Funny he told me in a bar he would have voted Joe Torsella had he won, but voted Brown.   

[J. J.]

I have friends that are very liberal; they know where I stand and I know where they stand, but they are still friends.

[bullmoose88]

Side Note: Route 1 sucks.

I hate driving that thing.

carry on

[angus]

Side Note: Route 1 sucks.

I hate driving that thing.

carry on

I'll vouch for it sucking for several miles naa'th and south of Boston.

that run through your neck of the woods as well?

[Akno21]

As long as it's under control, debating can actually be a fun thing to do with your friends. The key is to know when to agree to disagree.

[Erc]

If I let it get in the way, then I wouldn't have very many friends around these parts.

I don't talk about it, they generally don't talk about it...and when politically-related matters come up in conversation, as long as conversation remains solely on policy, not politics, the conversation goes along fine.

Of course, then they begin to assume that you're a Democrat/Republican/Green/Mad-Raving-Looneyite, and that can cause problems down the line.


Eh, Route 1 isn't my favorite road, but since it runs through my town, I have to deal with it.  Not too bad in that particular stretch of it.

[Ebowed]

In a good friendship people would be able to keep their political differences while agreeing on common ground.  Virtually everyone has varying opinions on most issues, so friendships would be easily broken if I let politics get in the way of friendship.

[Lunar]

When I have a friend on any end of the political spectrum who's ranting about politics, I won't attack everything they believe in up front.  I'll discuss the issue at hand, ask simple questions ("What do you believe a government's role is?"  "Do you know any people who are smarter than their speaking skills indicate?") and have an intelligent discussion.

[bullmoose88]

Side Note: Route 1 sucks.

I hate driving that thing.

carry on

I'll vouch for it sucking for several miles naa'th and south of Boston.

that run through your neck of the woods as well?

Unfortunately...

The artist formerly known as the king's highway runs through my neck of the woods (I think it was called that).

[angus]

you need to drive that little stretch of the Pan-American highway between El Florido, Honduras, and Chimiqula, Guatemala during Rush Hour.  Make you appreciate route 1.

I once made 30 miles in 3 hours on the aforementioned piece of "highway" (a one-lane dirt and gravel road which I had to share with Buses, Trucks, and the ocassional beast of burden) in a 1982 Toyota Tercel.  I had two women, a man, 3 children, a goat, and an upholstered chair in that little car with me at the time. 

"hey baby, ¿quieres ir al cine conmigo?"
"ah, que bueno!  eh, ¿puedes dar un paseo mi hermana?"
"claro que sí."
"¿y su familia?"
"pues, el auto es pequeño, pero no hay problema, baby"
"okay gracias, un momento...  Guadelupe, Jorge, Martina, Pepe, Roberto, Ven aquí!"

We do all sorts of silly things to get laid, don't we?

[Rob]

I've had many arguments with friends over politics, and it's never done irreparable harm to the friendship.

[Wakie]

It depends on the issue.  On almost everything I can see the other side's point of view and while I may disagree I would certainly never let it interfere with a friendship.  There are 1 or 2 issues which I am totally inflexible on and feel that being on the other side is a total failure of an individual to be human.

[angus]

I've had many arguments with friends over politics, and it's never done irreparable harm to the friendship.

which was my thought exactly.  not the same as "keeping my mouth shut" but I chose that option since the answer is NO.

[Alcon]

No, although I have to admit that I'd have trouble relating to someone who is extremely conservative on social issues.

[phk]

No not at all.

[KEmperor]

I try not to discuss politics or religion at work, it's just a bad idea.

With regard to friendships, one of my best friends is a solid Democrat.  We debate often, but we never take it personally.  We respect each other enough to simply accept a difference of opinion.

[Akno21]

No, although I have to admit that I'd have trouble relating to someone who is extremely conservative on social issues.

Times are changing. Even social conservatives like Jake and Josh22 keep up with normal things, like college basketball and other things. Fundamentalists aren't amish.

[opebo]

I honestly doubt that I could attain friendship with a social conservative or religious.  Economic conservatives are fine though.  Still, when I used to be a Republican, I was the only one I knew, other than family.  All my friends are Democrats, and nearly all fit the liberal socially, moderate economically heart and soul of the party.  Used to have a few Marxist friends, but they all moved to Seattle.