How many Repub Family Members of Friends have you been...

[NNguyenMD]

estranged from because of Bush's divisive politics and this election?

My brother and I stopped talking after we reached a breaking point discussing this election. I personally believe its a combination of his propensity to play devil's advocate and his stubbornnes rather than any consevative views that he has.

But many friendships I had with Bush supporter friends have been reduced to super duper superficial relationships that are as meaningful and close as one would have with their TV repair man. I suppose after we've outted ourselves to which political party we supportted, it was hard to have casual conversations about daily issues without getting into heated arguments.

[Lucky Luciano]

1. I'll admit the girl I am dating is a b*sh supporter because of

the Israeli issue for her....She does not really like him though....but I still find it creepy that she could support him (obviously)....When the bigger better deal comes along, I will probably jump ship.

[The Doctor.]

5. Lucky! - weren't you the one with the poll the other night?

LOL!

I just had a 'friend' tell me she missed 'us' today.

No embellishment here.

[Lucky Luciano]

12. LOL!!

Yea...that poll was a lot of fun! HAHA!

Now, if only there was some way to get her head out of her political ass! Not tonight though...I have so much work to do that my weekend pretty much sucks. I am on DU wasting precious work time!

[Kipepeo]

2. I decided to cut them all out of my life

except for my dad. No more niceties. No more pretending to be interested or polite, and certainly no more avoiing talking politics when *they* bring it up!

I will be expected to see the extended family repukes when I go home for christmas. I am trying to decide if it would be best to stay home or to go and have a knock-down brawl.

[Maat]

3. I'm experiencing the same thing.

We used to think that we had the perfect neighborhood. We had block barbeques all the time. Our kids played together. We supported each other through crises. Then there was the leadup to the election. We just respectfully avoided politics ... started to see each side having get-togethers without the other one. Then the election. Now, I have this super-polite very superficial relationship (like the one I would have with the TV repairman, as you so eloquently put it) with people that used to be very good friends. It's weird, but I can't go back.

It has caused a big rift between my in-laws, and Hubby and I. We talk because we want my daughter to talk with her grandparents. But the conversations are short and sweet.

Know how you feel. I've made many new progressive friends - and I hang around them more. Things have changed forever, and unlike what one of my Rethuglican acquaintances says, this nation will not happily heal anytime soon.

Thanks for the post. It made me think.

[NNguyenMD]

6. thank you for reading and replying to it. Its really something

that I wanted to get out there for myself b/c it made such little sense that I couldn't get along with former friends who were Bush supporters. And the fact is that I really can't. Feels better to know that other folk are going through the same thing.

Think any conservatives are sullen about losing progressive and liberal friends? Guess I shouldn't count on it huh? haha.

[NNguyenMD]

4. I'm sure all you guys got along well enough before...

I guess now because its so divisive, and the conservative bascially dictate the national and foreign policy, its so polarizing that it makes difficult being with friends and family with opposing views.

I think I finally understand now how difficult it must have been in 1860 for abolitionist and pro-slavery folk to have gotten along in such a divisive period of time. Its a shame that we have to relive it as a nation once again.

[notadmblnd]

7. none, i converted every simgle one of them

and some of thier friends too.

[NNguyenMD]

9. You should consider consulting for the DNC then...being able to do that is

really an incredible gift considering how thick headed Bush voters can be.

[notadmblnd]

22. I just use their own retoric on them

with my mothers husband, it was Reagans line "R U better off now than four years ago?" He told me that comment stuck in his craw. With my sons reading teacher I appealed to her religion
She was raised Southern Baptist and so was I, we had a long conversation about what the current regime has done and the numbers of people killed, At one point she told me we had to stop talking about it. So I said to her.. You and I both were taught what is right and what is wrong, and before you vote, look in your heart, and ask yourself if what these people are doing is right. A couple of days later at parent teacher conference (I was still pretty emotional about Kerrys loss) she told me she had voted for Kerry.

I pretty much did the same thing with my sister who converted to Catholisism. My parents friends who are close to retirement and are struggeling financially.. I just let them know what is in store for them down the road if bush has his way. The white republican guy at work who was telling me how scared he was about losing his job and the financial pinch his family was feeling. The republican vendor who was telling me how he lost almost a million dollars of his investments in the stock market...I spoke with a little catholic guy that was very angry that bush had gotten us into this war with nothing more than a lie, he told me he could not in good conscience vote for Kerry. My reply to him was stay home, don't vote. I worked this way with every one I spoke to. When I heard them complaining about their personal situations, I'd step up (often uninvited) and point out how the little chimps policies were affecting them personally.

I found that the key to changing their minds was just a matter of showing them how politics affect them personally. Many people don't have the first clue. They are all caught up in their day to day lives too busy or caught up in diversions like sports and Lacy Peterson to pay attention to what is really going on. It didn't always happen in the first conversation. Many I had to slowly chisel away at.

I was lucky. At work I held a position that caused many people to interface with me (I was let go recently after 28 years, I don't think my politics had anything to do with it, cuts were coming and I asked them to let me go.) so it was easy for me to turn the conversation to politics.

My financial advisor gave me a compliment recently when he told me I should consider running for some kind of public office. I guess if I can flip my financial advisor, I must have a gift. But I have far too many skeletons in my closet for me to run for office. What I have done though is applied for a seat on our local draft board. I'm still waiting for a reply but having a young son myself, this is where I feel I can do the most good

[The Doctor.]

8. My parents are hard-core Repubs...

In fact, I'm registered Republican too.

But they're blind.

Ma will talk to me when she's not so busy keeping everyone's business in order. (She ain't intrusive - she's just a doer.)

Dad's a lost cause tho'.

Shame that he's a 'nucular scientist' on top of that... oh, the Irony.

But we have familial protocol and will never 'fall out'.
Too much class for that, we were all raised in Massachusetts.

[Timebound]

10. It's kinda strange, really...

My family is made up of preachers and such, and all of them are very strong Kerry supporters. (None of us have a lot of money, but anyway...)

Then there's my dad, and his family. Very rich, uppity people. All of them are very strong Bush supporters cause he's a 'Christian'. (Yet my family members who are preachers actually see the situation more clearly...).

I don't associate with my father or his family and haven't for a long time, so I can't really say I was estranged from them.

[Buck Rabbit]

11. We don't talk politics at all with my Bush loving Mother-in-law.

Avoid the subject completely. She is a stereotypical Repug, wealthy, generous to her family but no one else, resents any and all taxes.

But we get along great and we don't resent her politics as we know something she doesn't. That someday she will be a large posthumous donor to progressive causes.

[flygal]

13. My whole stinking in-law klan is repug...

they have this poster showing repugs in heaven and dems in hell. :rolleyes: nice folks. I should have run away - but my hubby is so cool and even though he is independant - he hates * more than I do.

[Forkboy]

14. Thankfully I have no freinds or family that is Repub

I doubt I could be close friends with anyone who held such drastically different worldviews as I do.

[KSAtheist]

15. Not many...

My best friend is a republican who sits next to me at work. We have arguments, yes, but we respect each other's boundaries. Whenever it gets too violent, we just talk about MST3K and comic books.

My uncle is a pentecostal minister up in Wisconsin. Real right-wing, too...but he's one of the nicest people I know. I have an uncle who's as left wing as me. He's an arrogant prick who has cut himself off from the family. I suspect he's a drug mule.

I just don't consider a difference of political opinion a sound reason to cut someone out of my life.

[OhioChick]

16. Let's just say

that the in-laws won't be coming here anytime soon. :toast:

[Solly Mack]

17. I'm too old to allow any Bush supporter to disrupt my enjoyment

of my life...be they relatives or (onetime) friends.

Simplify your life...get rid of the rubbish and excess baggage.

What's happening in America and the world is depressing enough without bringing it home, offering it something to drink, and pretending to make small talk with it.

I've no patience for rightwingers. NONE.

[donheld]

18. I have almost totally cut off

all contact with right wing family and friends. I still communicate with my bible beater mom, but it's strained.

[lgardengate]

19. My Aunt and Uncle and i argue ALL THE TIME we discuss politics

but we don't do it often. We don't understand each other but we still love each other. I haven't been estranged from anyone .Politics is Politics and family/good friends are FAMILY. THat will always trump politics with me.

[ixat]

20. And doesn't it FUCKING SUCK SHIT that some lame ASSHOLE has managed to

affect people's relationship with their families and friends like that? I had (well, still have) a really good friend from China, we used to have a lot of fun together, until I made some political comment to her, and she came out as a Bush supporter, and moreover, started spouting the lamest soundbites that we're all so sick of here... I tried to be polite, but I'm afraid I blew it somewhat. Good thing it was an online chat...

[GrrrlRomeo]

21. I converted my Mom...her friendships are strained

It was tough, all her friends and co-workers are Republicans. I was constantly counteracting all the junk they fed her. Now she's to the point of telling her friends off if they bring up politics.

[DawgHouse]

23. Yes, superficial relationships

ALL of my coworkers are right wing - NEO conservatives. They stop by my office on a regular basis to inquire, "do you REALLY like Bill Clinton????" They have two consistently stupid statements 1) You are against the soldiers if you voted for Kerry 2) Bill Clinton did nothing but have sex in the White House.

They have no other substance. The funny thing is that they come in every morning touting their "opinion", which I have heard before because it just so happens that I heard Bill O'Reilly say the same thing the night before. They don't have their own opinions - they spout whatever they heard on Fox and masquerade as if they are the one who thought of it.

As to my family, they too voted Repug. We don't discuss politics anymore.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

24. My twin brother and a good friend.

n/t