My conservative friends will not talk politics anymore

[tompayne1]

In the past year they have been arguing with me less and less. I wonder where all there fire has gone...

[Hobarticus]

1. One GOP friend reversed his position on Iraq, just like that...

So much for "staying the course".

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. heh

[ArkDem]

3. Maybe they no longer consider you a friend....

:evilgrin:

[marmar]

4. I think they've realized they don't have a leg to stand on...

Not that they ever did....

:nopity:

[liberal N proud]

5. I pissed my pet republican off today!

He has been blasting email after email at me because I got him to agree with Bill Bennett, Wasn't too tough!

[Vanje]

6. A co-worker of mine

has quietly removed the Bush-Cheney sticker from where it has been since before November 04.

[i miss america]

18. That peeling, scraping, sucking sound is music to my ears!

:woohoo:

[bleedingheart]

7. it is hard to admit you have been "taken"

and many GOPers have found themselves "taken" in...they fell for the morality bullshit and now they have less cash in their wallets ..

[Arkansas Granny]

8. They're finding that crow doesn't make a very tasty dish.

[leftofthedial]

9. my former friends who call themselves "conservative"

have all run away crying to momma

mommy mommy, the mean man hit me with the truth

waaaaaahh

[AirmensMom]

10. Mine won't talk to me at all.

They don't want to see the truth, even if it's hitting them over the head.

:(

[Shine]

11. Maybe that's a good thing. n/t

[Binka]

12. I Divorced All My Conservative Friends After Theft Nov 2004

They cried and pleaded with me to stay their friend, Why? Why? They wept.

Quite simply I told them "Bush is an asshole and you are carrying his stink for him."

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Binka]

19. I'd Rather Debate With A Door Knob

On the off chance that said knob might say something cogent.

[Tesha]

36. ...on the off chance that at least the doorknob might be turned. :-) (NT)

[The Backlash Cometh]

31. You're my hero.

I've pretty much have done the same thing, except I haven't had the guts to tell them why quite so clearly.

[zbdent]

42. "Bush ... asshole ... carrying ... stink"

That is truly a great line . . . mind if I borrow it?

[Binka]

46. By All Means!

Thanks BTW I like it myself!

[Debau2005]

14. And that is the problem

with Conservative Republicans! Running away? I don't care for people that will not stand and fight for what they believe in, even if I don't agree with them. I have always been and will always be a liberal Dem. I have never turned from my affiliation or wavered in my convictions because the tide was turning against me. I find that cowardly.

Now don't get me wrong...I am enjoying the peace and quiet that is coming from that side of my family. Maybe this year, they will shut up about the virtues for the current administration! :nopity:

[tompayne1]

16. YEAH!!!!

I have always and wiill always be a harcore dem no matter what they say.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

15. Same here.

My conservative friends are suddenly "fed up with politics". How cute!

[Cassandra]

37. It's because they've been told for over 25 years...

that the only alternative to whatever brand of conservatism is being peddled is wild-eyed hippie liberalism. In their black-and-white world, leaving the field is the only alternative to supporting Bush.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

41. Which is where we need to be coming in.

I've been saying it for a while, but I think we need to tailor our message to the West and Midwest. I think if we can make a pitch to them that we ARE about fiscal responsibility, push all of the "wedge" issues as a state's rights matter, and continue pushing civil liberties, we can definitely win over that part of the country. Note, I am NOT saying we change our ideals one bit, only the messages we send regarding them. A lot of these people are lost in the political woods, and if we can just shine a light on them, we can make up big ground in places like Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, Iowa, the Dakotas, New Mexico and Montana.

[hang a left]

17. What are those grief stages again?

denial
anger
....
....
....
....

I find the cons in my neiborhood are still at the anger stage. I got an angry email a few weeks back regarding Sheehan. And this from a woman whom I have only sparred with her husband, never discussed politics with her before.

[tompayne1]

21. ha ha

Yeah i have people engage me on the street some time because i am so well known as the democrat. Funny thing is no matter how loud they et i stay quiet. And no matter how many of them there are i still win.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

20. They are ashamed?

[bigscott]

22. Conservative Friends

All my conservative friends still fall back on the "what about Bill Clinton doing............." I have stopped talking to them rather than the other way around - I have never really been one to say "I told you" so but...

It is sad that it took 1950 dead soldiers to get them to agree that the war was not worth it even thought they would never admit it. One of my "friends" stopped returning my emails a long time ago when I asked if he wanted me to forward enlistment papers for his son.:hide:

[tompayne1]

24. woo

Man that is a move even i don't do except to the most obnoxious blowhards.

[I Have A Dream]

32. Welcome to DU, bigscott! Glad to have your voice here!

:hi:

[NMMNG]

48. Welcome to DU bigscott

That's the traditional MO of the modern conservative--fall back on what Bill Clinton did. They hide in the minor flaws of the past so they can ignore the travesty of the current administration. :eyes:

[Liberty Belle]

23. My Republican neighbor changed parties after sitting next to Howard Dean

on a cross-country flight. He's since moved to a new neighborhood--and decided to run for school board as a Democrat because he's so fed up with what the Republicans are doing to public education.

[tompayne1]

25. the signs of change are coming.

[CottonBear]

28. Wow! What a story! I would love to sit next to Howard Dean

on a cross-country flight! What an amazing conversion story. :)

[shance]

45. That is very cool and it doesnt surprise me.

I believe without a shadow of a doubt if more congressional leaders made the effort to live like mainstream citizens and connect with more Americans outside the beltway, nothing but positive returns would be gained by everyone.

Thanks for posting that story.

[HughBeaumont]

26. Unfortunately, my friend must have a daily IV drip of Kool-Aid . . .

He thinks the war is/was justified, buys the Puking point of "liberals must have thought Saddam was a great guy", STILL proudly supports Bewsh, STILL watches Hawks "News", STILL gets all of his news items from newsmax and WingNutDaily, STILL hates the UN, STILL thinks Karl Rove is innocent, STILL thinks the levees were well funded by this administration, STILL blames the Clinton administration for almost everything and STILL thinks the economy is going strong.

His last essay-drenched e-mail (long paragraphs probably because of where he gets everything on line, and if he provided a link, I'd call him on the bias) could be a signal that he's about to be dropped.

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH . . .

[seabeyond]

27. mine wont either. but they avent since the election

gonna say something stupid or uniformed, i am going to speak up. has shut them all up

they can only defend bush for so long before even they know they are enablers. and it isnt healthy good or right

[dogday]

29. I am going to see my Republican Family this weekend

and I can't wait. It has been year since I last saw them gloating about shrub. I cannot wait to hear what they have to say in the defense of The Republicans now.... It should be wild. I am learning how to control my temper when I discuss politics. It has taken a while but I never raise my voice anymore.

[tompayne1]

30. the trick is to stay moderate listen to the BS they are spouting

and laugh as you realize all they have on their side is a willingness to yell.

[Mutley]

33. My main conservative friend never really talked politics with

me before. We went back and forth a bit leading up to the election but for the most part we don't talk about politics. I think we both know that if we bring it up too much we won't be able to be friends. I did ask him if he'd heard about the DeLay indictment and he just gave me a dirty look and shook his head. I still haven't decided what that meant.

[Sivart]

34. I hear this alot -

I'm not really a republican.....I'm a liberitarian.

This is from people who I know are die hard republicans. I always ask them who the liberitarian candidate was in the last two elections, and enjoy the sound of the crickets....

[BillZBubb]

39. That's a brilliant reply!

Welcome aboard.

[Lasher]

35. I used to call into a local radio talk show

I also visited their chat room during the weekday 2-hour broadcasts. Of course, almost all are right wingers. The host has often claimed that he wants calls from people with differing views. But it turned out, he can't take the heat.

I was able to engage in fair debate at times, but about 2 months ago the host started getting real nasty with me. He banned me from the chat room once, but let me back in after fellow participants gave him a hard time. Figure that, the Republicans were taking up for me because he had treated me unfairly. Increasingly, whenever I would call in he would go into some lame tirade and cut me off.

I think recent events have made him a tad cranky.

Over a month ago I decided I would not ever again listen, call, or chat. I can hold my own in fair debate, if I may be so bold as to say so. But it is not fair when an opponent abuses his quasi-moderator role and the cutoff button. You can't fairly argue with the person who is holding the mocrophone unless they let you. I will not be the Democratic straight man in what have increasingly become 2 hour Republican infomercials.

That's OK, I was able to sharpen my debating skills, and came away with a couple of new Republican friends. Even with them I don't rub their noses (much) in the crimes of the Bush cartel. How would you feel, to have been that wrong?

[BlueCaliDem]

40. It's A Good Thing You Don't "Rub their noses (much) in the crimes of...

...the * cartel.

Playing the devil's advocate a moment:

Those Republicans who are REAL Republicans, know it better than anyone, and don't need more fingerpointing and LOLs their way.

Those who don't know better, are lost causes anyhow, and nothing but a great big waste of your time.

Perhaps your kinder, less accusatory stance will encourage those Republican friends of yours to support a Democratic majority in both the House and Senate in 2006?

It's happened before, y'know.

It's true Republicans are more stubborn and unwilling to see the forest for the trees in most circumstances, but sometimes, they do see the light, and cross over, and the LAST thing we need to do is piss them off so badly that they vote Republican again just out of spite.

You'd be amazed just how many vote just to "git them uppity Dems". Yeah, they're pretty petty most times, I know.

But still, it's best not to rattle their cages too much, I say.

[Lasher]

44. OK, I'm thinking that way too

BlueCaliDem04,

I agree with everything you have said. Today's Republicans are anything but 'conservative' and I am sometimes ammused when they mindlessly cling to that label, not having the slightest clue about the concept.

As time goes by I find myself being less assertive about arguing our points with Republicans. That's mainly because the Bush cartel has been doing a very convincing job of making that case with any thinking person who is paying the least bit of attention.

[Orrin_73]

38. Some people are best avoided

they are beyond reason. Believe me.

[texpatriot2004]

43. Many of them can no longer defend this regime.n/t

[I_Make_Mistakes]

47. Think about it, on what grounds can they? The old time conservatives

can not defend the fiscal spending (at least the Dem's helped country men), the old time fiscal (small gov't, private sector) has failed in Iraq, 8 billion still unaccounted for, Katrina, yada, yada, yada. The abortion rates, crime rates, etc., have risen.

It is the poor in spirit, catered to by Evil Doers, that dare defend the BA. They do come in all stripes and flavors and education is the only way to equalize the situation. That is why, education has been the biggest target of the administration.

[texpatriot2004]

49. Knowledge is power. n/t

[FM Arouet666]

50. Like rats leaving a sinking ship.......

I have noticed it as well. My boss pronounced "thank god for george bush" at our christmas party. Ten months later he is "not happy with this administration, and never was."

The ship is sinking.........