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How is this election affecting your personal relationships?

OreoRosies86

Ideal_Rock
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Dec 25, 2012
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Re: How is this election affecting your personal relationshi

ruby59|1476320930|4086432 said:
Elliot86|1476320549|4086431 said:
I have like one weird family member who rants about abortion and thinks Obama is a Muslim. Everyone else is fine.

Friends are the family you choose, and I choose to surround myself with forward thinkers.

And are you the judge and jury of who qualifies?

I prefer those who are free thinkers.

Ruby, everyone judges. Stop thinking its a dirty word or that you are somehow immune to it. Of course I am the judge of who qualifies to be a part of my life. I don't care who you vote for, but once you show me any of the above mentioned I will walk away. It's obvious the way my mind works and the way I live really sticks in your craw, but it takes all kinds to make a world so there you have it.
 

Rhea

Ideal_Rock
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Re: How is this election affecting your personal relationshi

It's not directly affected any of my personal relationships. I was born American and grew up there but have spent most of my post-college life in England. I fit in here. I'm quite left of what the Americans consider to be centre. I spend most of my year rolling my eyes at American politics but panic sets in when I get close to my yearly visit. I leave my safe and happy place in a week to go visit the US. I can't watch the media. The circus I usually find amusing and watch passively becomes a reality and a horror show at that. It happens every year, but it's worse in election years.

My husband is struggling. He knows his parents as hippies and they are generally very progressive people. As they get older they seem to be becoming more like Daily Mail readers and he's really struggled since the Brexit vote. I've pointed out that it happens to most older people, but he's not accepting that as an answer. I think he finally gets the internal struggle with loving someone and not understanding the racism they spew from their mouths. He admits to wanting to be around his parents less so in that way it is affecting his personal relationships.

Neither of us are close friends with those who have very different views. We do judge the company we keep. I'll happily admit it. I'm surprised at those who say they don't. Early in life my parents taught me that you are the company you keep. That may have been in relation to hanging out with the kids who skipped classes but the message is still the same. I don't keep close friends who disagree with me on gay rights, religious tolerances, women's rights, sexual assault, or racism. I will not be racist by association.

I can't think of another example quite so divisive than American political circle, British politics certainly isn't still debating the same things in that way. I do have friends who vote Conservative in British elections but the Conservative party is left even of US Democrats most of the time. The major parties disagree on taxes, spending and the like. Not on abortion or gay rights. If any of my friends, no matter how they voted or what they said, actually did the act of not paying paying people for work done and hid money in shell companies, I'd drop that friend like a hot potato.
 

House Cat

Ideal_Rock
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Re: How is this election affecting your personal relationshi

All of my closest friends are Conservatives. We talk politics sometimes and we are able to maintain an attitude of mutual respect. What I love about us is that we always seem to learn something from one another. We aren't so different in our views in the sense that we love our country and we want what is best for everyone.

As far as my relationships with others, I will admit that I had to stop visiting Facebook in July and haven't really been back. All of the political posts were too triggering. People that I love dearly were letting certain views "hang out" and they were changing my feelings for them. I didn't want something like politics to have an impact on the love I feel for people. My life is much simpler without Facebook.

My oldest son LOVES politics. One of his majors is History. We text almost constantly about this election. When we are together, the election is our hot topic. We love it! Of course, when there isn't an election to discuss, we are most likely talking politics of some other kind... :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
 

Puppmom

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Re: How is this election affecting your personal relationshi

Not really at all. We've had a couple of situations but nothing even close to major:

- DD is 21 and not registered to vote. DH has sent her reminders. She's not interested. I say it's her prerogative. He wants to "encourage" her more. I think he wants her to vote because he's ASSUMING she'll vote for who he is voting for. I think that's presumptuous. But, alas, deadline has passed and I don't know if she registered and don't much care. She wasn't bothered by the prodding though so all is well.

- MIL is under my skin a bit because she keeps reminding DH and me to vote and to make sure our registration is valid and emailing us links. Again, because she ASSUMES we will vote for the same person she is. Besides, we're GROWN-UPS last I checked. If you want to talk politics no problem but I don't need your nudging to vote. :praise:

Not everyone in my family of circle of friends agrees politically but we're a pretty respectful bunch in that sense. I do wonder how I would feel if my husband and I weren't on the same page but we are.
 
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