I just found out my sister and brother in law like Trump

[retrowire]

Keep in mind, I've never been particularly political until Bernie inspired me so the fact that they are coming to light as hard right wingers to me is big news.

I'm kind of ashamed right now, I could see it in my bro in law somewhat, but not my sister! our own parents, like me are Bernie supporters!

I need a drink.... being political is really kind of a life changer. I kind of hate how it gives me a new lens to view people through. sigh...

[ZM90]

1. I feel you Retro.

I have a sister and she talks over me if I try to talk about anything positive President Obama has done. She thinks secularism is destroying this nation. She also used to be much smarter when she went to college and she used to be a Democrat. Then she started living with my hard right cousin in a small town and now I can hardly talk politics with her without getting talked over.

[haikugal]

2. Welcome to the '60's....LOL

Last edited Sat Oct 3, 2015, 01:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Seriously, it can be very painful. Waking up is often unpleasant but we're here with you and we have your back!

[retrowire]

3. ha thanks!

I can't imagine the family dinners in the 60's. ugh!

then again, these days with war and all the issues, I'm sure it won't be mild either

[SheilaT]

27. Back in the 60s most people observed the rule

that you didn't discuss sex, politics, or religion.

The secrecy of the ballot was also very important, and many, probably most, people did not publicly talk about who they'd voted for.

[Bucky]

4. Interestingly, Trump isn't doing as well among Conservative Reps as among GOP Moderates

He also is doing less well (compared to his overall lead) among high income and high education Republicans. IOW, he's not appealing to ideological conservatives as much as he's appealing to poorly informed, personally embittered Republicans. So cheer up, your fam may not be infested by right wingers. Maybe they're just sad & stupid.

[retrowire]

5. yeah but the fact that my sister

agreed that trump just "says it like it is" is abysmal for my opinion of her.

[malthaussen]

20. It seems like people who claim Mr Trump "tells it like it is"

... are really saying that he tells it as they believe. I'm sure that can be very depressing if one had no prior inkling of it.

-- Mal

[world wide wally]

22. Trump is appealing to the prejudice in people. That is all he ever talks about...

Besides himself

[Lifelong Protester]

6. All I can say is "Happy Thanksgiving"!

Sorry, it's no fun to find out your relation (in this case, close) are not just "off" but "way off".

My sister and niece were fired up when we saw Bernie in Seattle (right before the BLM group kept him from speaking, but at least we saw him!)

[Cobalt Indigo]

7. I feel your pain

My mom informed me that my father (whose in his 60's) loves Donald Trump...I always knew my dad was a very set in his ways right winger but hearing that really hurt my heart. I never bring up politics (even when my dad feels the need to argue with someone) and I sure as hell won't bring it up now! Sigh. I'm the sole democrat for both sides of the family where I live. I live in silence.

[Throd]

8. Try not to view everything in life through the lens of your politics.

It makes life tedious for yourself and those around you.

[Quackers]

15. ^^^this^^^

My mother is a republican. But she is my mom first. Politics should never stop you from loving someone. Be respectful to each other and don't discuss politics.

[DFW]

24. I was always respectful of my parents

But that was easy--they were both Democrats. My dad left me a letter written by his mother in 1948. She was fundraising for the Senate campaign for the (then-) mayor of Minneapolis, who was running for the US Senate. He won, by the way, had a brief stint as Vice-President along the way, too. She had the honor of being labor relations person for Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia of New York City, who later canned her for being too cozy with labor (what was a labor relations person supposed to do, anyway?).

[Duppers]

38. Great relatives and story!

Bravo for them and You should be rightfully proud!

[DFW]

43. Some of my ancestry was supposedly far less distinguished.

My maternal grandfather told me his family moved to New York City in the 1850s because they were deadbeat gamblers on the Mississippi river fleeing from their debts. He was the family wit. At age 99, he sent out Christmas cards with a photo of himself, looking very much his age, with the caption "Compliments of the Seasoned."

My dad's father, the husband of the LaGuardia labor liason, was born in South Carolina, somehow got into Harvard, but was penniless and worked his way through as a janitor. Long after LaGuardia was gone, he ended up as deputy mayor of New York City himself. Not bad for a South Carolina janitor.

I definitely have a diverse set of ancestors. When my daughter was in law school, she told me about some case her class was studying. I recognized one of the names in the list of litigators as my great-grandfather, who came over from somewhere in the Hapsburg Empire in the 1870s. His daughter was the LaGuardia labor liason. They DID things.

[Duppers]

44. So interesting! And impressive!

Thanks for giving us a peek.


My DH has quite an impressive ancestry dating back to Capt. John Smith in Jamestown, Va. His family's name "one of the oldest in America, ___having arrived in 1608 on the second ship after Captain John Smith’s permanent settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in April, 1607." And was present at the baptism and marriage of Pocahontas. Then there's the thing about building the first brick home in Philly.

My family? Ha! Just Irish farmers with a long history of being dutiful conformists (with the except of a famous Tabasco sauce maker in Louisiana). I think I'm the first democrat in the whole bunch. They don't particularly care for me.

[DFW]

47. Your DH is a downright Blueblood

My wife has her family genealogy in a book which starts in the year 1473. She's near the last page. It's like that in Germany. My mongrel ancestry disappears into the mists of time before the 1850s. So, my daughters can trace one side of their ancestry to a northwestern German family in the Middle Ages and the other to some Mississippi River Boat gamblers, an immigrant lawyer from somewhere in what might be today's Poland and a janitor from South Carolina. Happy mongrels, we!

But, except for one loser cousin in Tennessee (on wife # I-lost-count) that I haven't seen in 20 years, I don't know of any other Republicans in my family. You'd have to dig deep to find a conformist among us. Whatever else we might be, hardly any of us ever ended up doing what someone else did. My dad loved politics, but since his father became a famous jurist, he became a journalist, eventually becoming president of Washington's legendary Gridiron Club. My mom was a bassist in a jazz group in NYC, then worked as an editor for Good Housekeeping, ended up building musical instruments and teaching ESL to Vietnamese immigrants in Virginia. My brother, my sister and and I all do stuff that has nothing to do with all that.

All Democrats except for my wife, who, as a German citizen, votes Greens or SPD depending on who fields the better candidates in her opinion.

[retrowire]

16. i think I'll get better at that as time goes on. n/t

[Duppers]

36. Politics represents a person's feelings and compassion

for their fellow humans.

I use it as a major yardstick on which my respect for anyone is based, be they stranger, friend, or relative, for it says a lot about who they are.

For peace of mind and lower BP, I must avoid my extended family.

[smirkymonkey]

48. I agree. It's very difficult for me to look at a republican without seeing

those values behind their politics. It's part of who they are and I find it difficult to be around them for very long.

[CrispyQ]

9. My BIL called a few weeks ago to wish my husband a happy birthday.

Hubby was out, & usually BIL & I would talk for awhile, but the first words out of his mouth were, "I gotta tell you, I love Donald Trump!" I told him, "I'd love to chat, but I have some things to finish up before hubby gets home. I'll tell him you called." So hubby had to call him back & heard not only does BIL like Trump, he purchased an Ann Coulter book & likes it.

It can be hard when you're into politics. People say to keep it out of relationships, but I don't see how I could ever end up with a right winger. It's a totally different world view. I know some people who work it out, but it wouldn't be for me.

[retrowire]

13. oy vey. so sorrt to hear that. n/t

[ryan_cats]

10. On the plus side

On the plus side, you could always be adopted.
That's what I always thought during the glorious (Nixon, Reagan) revolutions.

[mucifer]

11. Kinda like being vegan

It's hard to keep quiet about the things you now see. But, usually it's best . You have to remember you once thought like they did.

It's not easy.

[retrowire]

12. i am vegan! lol

and over time I've found it easy to accept others diets and beliefs there.

but when they want to complain about animal cruelty and then eat meat.... I get a little flustered.

[MoonRiver]

35. My husband and I experience the same thing.

When eating out with others, watching the carnivores devour their bloody carcases is hard, but necessary, if we don't want to end up with few friends and family who will even talk with us! We avoid everybody, except our vegan daughter, on Thanksgiving.

I did recently make a vegan friend and it's great going out to eat with her. When one of us gives the usual list of food requirements, e.g. no chicken stock, the other one can just say ditto.

[DFW]

14. If it provides any counter-balance

My sister and my brother in law are fervent Bernie supporters.

[retrowire]

18. that's great to hear. thank you for countering my family lol n/t

[DFW]

21. I see so many posts bemoaning far right family members

I felt an obligation to mention that not ALL our relatives lean toward the crazies!

[840high]

17. I have one grandson who

is for Sanders and one grandson who is for Trump. It's their right.

[yeoman6987]

25. +1,000,000

Absolutely their right. We don't have to like it but it is their choice.

[WestSeattle2]

19. Well it could be worse - much worse. Like they support Huckabee, Cruz

or Santorum! Always look for the silver lining.

In the end, it's just politics. There are far more important things in life.

[questionseverything]

23. the lack of democratic debates have left a vacuum that trump is using to hoodwink folks

he announced his tax plan and the middle class is responding ...it is totally unworkable but that will not stop the popular rhetoric

no federal taxes up to 25 grand for singles is sounding pretty good to people.....it would save 15% for low income taxpayers (todays rate)

the wealthy get even higher tax cuts but to the folks at the lower end they just hear about the part that effects them

i have heard a couple dems on c span saying they are going to support trump,hopefully we can change this trend with the dem debates but we are starting from behind

[lunatica]

26. I know exactly how you feel.

Sometimes the truth ruins things that used to be comfortable because we didn't know the truth.

A person's political views are a big issue for me. Even if I like them otherwise, once I find out they're far to the Right I won't get any closer to them.

I used to engage in conversation with them and they would end up agreeing with me once they knew the facts, only to have them forget the entire conversation the next time we talked. They would spout the same crap again. I realized that when you quietly and reasonably confront people like that with facts, they'll go along with what you're saying, but once the conversation is over they'll just default into their comfortably familiar rage.

Donald Trump is the epitome of what a cynic is. He's just manipulating everyone to show he can. He has no concern with how his actions can hurt others, including those who are backing him now. He's supremely cavalier about what he does.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

28. You should have been there for the pro and anti-Vietnam era.

[stage left]

29. I'm so sorry.

Though I'm a bit older than you I was not that political until George Bush. Made contact with my best friend from high school after years only to find out that she supports the NRA and thinks Wayne La Pierre makes sense. Live in SC surrounded by right wing fundamentalists. Fortunately, the people closest to me are on the same page politically, though only one of them is as involved as I am.

Maybe your sister will come around. Maybe Trump will crash and burn.

[retrowire]

30. I appreciate your sympathy. :( lol

It's just hearing that from my sister just confirms all the nuances of behavior I've seen in that part of the family throughout the years.

She just doesn't seem that way, and honestly, I think she's following my BIL's lead.

He's always shown some intolerance towards black people and LGBTQ folk. She? Nope. Her best friend is black, most of her coworkers are black, she enjoys their company immensely, has attended baby showers and became a god mother of one of their children. She's got a gay coworker whom she loves hanging out with, she's openly told her daughter that if she's gay then she's perfectly fine with that.

My sister just seems like the furthest person from a right winger, and yet... She's agreeing with Trump.

[PatrynXX]

31. well if they are hard right wingers Trump isn't their guy

lol. he's a Centrist everyone else in the field is to his right....

[Richard D]

32. I understand and sympathize.

My brother thinks Fiorina is the best thing since Reagan.

[retrowire]

33. Yeah Fiorina is apparently their second choice.

People are really stupid when they think this nation should be run by a former CEO and businessman.

We shouldn't want our government to run like a business. Really.

Not only that but the Donald and Fiorina are both terrible business people anyway.

Ugh...

[freedom fighter jh]

34. Your sister is still the same person you've always loved.

Her political perspective doesn't define who she is.

At DU, politics does seem to dominate everything, but that's not true of real life. You say you were not political until Bernie inspired you. I take that to mean you were not political until recently. Maybe she's like you were -- not particularly political -- but she likes the little she has heard from Trump (He must have reasonable positions on at least some things) or has heard about Trump from her husband, who sees him in a positive light. Maybe if she looks deeper she'll change her mind. Even if she knows a lot about Trump and still likes him, her perspective on Trump doesn't mean she isn't all the good things you always thought she was.

Still, I know where you're coming from. Myself, I'm a 9-11 truther. I have a master's degree in engineering and I am sure those buildings were not destroyed by airplanes -- something else was going on. I know that I don't know enough to say just what did bring the towers down. That makes me *not* a conspiracy theorist. But when I broached the subject with my BIL, he cut me off and said, "People who question the 911 story make me think of Holocaust deniers." How can anyone argue with reasoning like that? I decided not to pursue any of it . My BIL is a good man and I am happy that he's in the family, so I just avoid talking about 911 truth. And climate change. Stay tuned for more items to be added to the list next time I see him.

[Lars39]

39. Beg to differ.

Being pro Republican means you are for very horrible policies that will harm people. That does define a person.

[freedom fighter jh]

42. The ones who run the show are the only really evil Republicans.

Republican voters are, I think, for the most part just deluded. I don't think most of them know that those policies harm people. Of course there are exceptions, mostly racists. But that doesnt sound like Retrowire's sister.

[Puzzledtraveller]

37. two once reliable and considerably vocal liberals

in my family have made stunning turns to the right and are talking up the Trump mantra. They were not closet republicans either, they were as solid liberal as anyone who is proud to claim the label. I have no idea what happened.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

40. I posted this in a different thread: You don't choose your family

You don't choose your coworkers

You choose your friends, but as the years go on, their views change with their circumstances and external influences.

My circle of friends and family ranges from Bernie supporters to Hillary supporters to Trump supporters to Ben Carson and Ted Cruz supporters.

[Populist_Prole]

41. I'm visiting my RW father soon; I'm going to play the "trump" card, as repulsive as it will be.

He's the typical reactionary TP angry old white guy. I'm going to fake going for Trump while I'm there just to keep the peace. He doesn't dislike Trump as such but thinks he's a spoiler for the GOP. He'll think I'm just a misguided center/right populist that way and be irritated but leave me alone. If I tell him I'm a Sander's supporter they'll be such a blow-up I'd probably end up going back home within a day.

Steering clear of politics aint an option with him. Believe me.

[madokie]

45. I just found out one of my brothers

who will turn 75 In December is a right wing listening idiot. I looked up to this man for all my life but after the conversation we had a few days ago when he stated that the President was going to start a war somewhere so he could stay in office forever I lost it all. I don't even want to talk to him anymore. And that my friends is a shame. He's the guy who made sure that when I went into the Navy I had a car to drive when I came home on leave. Did the same with two other brothers. A guy I put on a pedestal all these years cause he used to be a good solid democrat but somewhere these last couple decades he's changed. Oh he'd still give you the shirt off his back and all that but at the same time vote to take that shirt off millions of people backs by voting I'm sure now republiPUKE.
To say I'm disillusioned is not even close to what or how I feel

[raouldukelives]

46. He is saying what they want to hear. Nothing could be simpler.

It scares the corporate repigs because he just comes right out and says what they have always tried to mask under clever verbiage on our airwaves about immigrants, the poor and minorities.

Trump doesn't deal well with craftiness and Luntzisms, he just says he hates and the deluded masses applaud.