Politics in the workplace

[bertha katzenengel]

Surely we all work with people whose politics are different from ours. What has been your experience with your Republican workplace mates?

I work in a law firm and one of the people I see daily is a well-known attorney for Bush-Cheney. We greet each other daily, as I do half a million other people with whom I'm on nodding terms. I have no ill will toward the man, but each time I see him, I honestly can't help but think, "How could you?"

I've never had run-ins with him or other GOPers (whether they work for * or not), but his guests and others visiting this floor often do a double-take when they walk by my cube. (I am a lesbian and an outspoken advocate for marriage equality, and it shows.)

Are you cordial with your conservative co-workers? Or do you argue a lot? Harass each other? Do you go to lunch with them and have civil debates? Other?

[SCDem]

1. I'm outwardly Progressive Dem at work

Most are dems also just not as progressive and active as I am. And I hint around that a democracy takes work hint hint you need to do more than vote. So even my co-workers that vote the same as I do I still give kind of a hard time to. Then my co-workers that are Republican either sit quiet and don't say something or we go to lunch and have lengthy civil debates.... one co-worker will be voting the other way in '06 at least for governor. So civility is good. But I think everyone should take a more active part in our democracy.

[vi5]

2. I don't discuss politics with anyone except my wife....

..and occassionally my parents. To be perfectly honest with you, other than my oldest best friend who I know is a liberal I have no idea what political stripe some of my closest friends are.

I have a co-worker who used to be my manager who I've known for 10 years and who I know is a rabid republican cheerleader. But she's nice and we never talk politics even though she is very open and forceful with her opinions. It's just not worth it to me.

[woodsprite]

6. OMG! I almost typed a convo I was listening to

in my cubby yesterday. It was between 2 co-workers. We don't have walls at work so you can hear *EVERYTHING* in our 2-sided 5' tall cubbies and these guys were really going at it. I wanted to ask you all how I could counter this freak if he started in on me. I had a meeting I had to attend so I actually left 15 min early so I could get away from him (my BP was rising).

Some of the "hi-lights" were

1) * is the only President in the past 30-40 years who ever has given a damn about straigtening out this country. (He went into some specifics, but I can't recall them as I was fuming so bad).

2) The 9/11 attacks were Clinton's fault.

3) The Dems are not putting forth any type of SS plan because they want to be the sole saviours of SS. They know it truly broken, but they can't put aside partisanship to work with our guy in office.

4) There are only IOUs in the SS Trust fund that the Dems looted.

.... There was more, but you get the picture. I used to classify this person as pretty much as a jovial, arrogant asshole. Guess I'm a pretty good judge of character. He celebrates election day by voting and then going out to shoot his guns. BTW, one of the reasons he voted for * is because he has a teenage son who he doesn't want to see drafted.

I pride myself in being able to work with almost anybody, but this guy is really pushing the limit here.

[peace frog]

3. Ditto that

I keep politics out of my worklife, however the 2004 election was distinctly uncomfortable... my co-workers are rabid repubs who were, naturally, thrilled to the skies when Kerry conceded. They called all over the building, inviting their friends to stop by, then proceeded to crow over the Dems defeat. It was a goddamn party atmosphere for everyone but me (had to slip off to the restroom for a private cry). Not that I blame them, you understand... had Kerry won I would have been every bit as exultant, I simply would have kept the celebration to myself.

[notadmblnd]

4. When I was working (lost job after 28 years)

We all went to lunch together. I was one of two females in our group. I worked with hardware planning and was involved in installation of servers in a raised floor environment. All these men were all hunting, fishing, sportsmen like,churchgoing republicans and I never hesitated to get in their faces when they brought the subject up.

George our little leader was the worst. He was one of those I go to the polls and vote straight republican ticket, he supported the war because he believed war is good for the economy, besides he had to serve in Vietnam and damn it if he had to suffer.. so should everyone else. His logic blew me away and we got into it daily. Funny thing, George would always come back to my office after lunch and attempt to smooth my feathers and make sure we were still friends.

I remember watching Colin Powell speaking at the UN (we had a TV in our break room) together and saying at the time.. there were no WMDs in Iraq. I'd like to think I gave those fellas much to think about while I worked with them, I know some of them thought about some of the things I said. It would be interesting to see if they went back to their old way or if any continued to exercise their minds and think for themselves after I left.

[frankly_fedup2]

5. My best friend and her husband are unbelievably conservative

(especially her husband), and she and I agreed way back not to talk about politics. However, her husband and I go tooth and nail at each other. If he emailed me, his first statement was a stupid political remark that he knew would pull my chain. Same thing when we see him.

My friend pretty much stays "Republican" because of the abortion issue. I asked her did she think Bush was going to get that overturned, and if she did, is that why she voted for him? She said no, but somebody has to try to save those without a voice. Also, the tax cut has really helped them. That one confused me because they are just under $100,000 (we're a little lower), and really, the tax cut would not have affected them just like it didn't us. I asked her how, she couldn't explain it but it seemed they got more money back this year (we had to pay as per usual). So it got to the point where I didn't really want to talk to her husband anymore. When I stopped emailing him (because he emailed me back stating he never read my "propaganda" and just deleted it), he told her and some of our other mutual friends that I said I was never going to talk to him again. I didn't say that to him. I told him I would never email him again because at least I took the time to read his BS, research it, then send it back to him proving the information he had WAS propaganda or a typical neocon lie.

I really haven't heard from him or her for a long time. They have separated 2-3 times in the last 5 years, she was addicted to painkillers and had to go through detox, and then her husband had to go through detox due to alcohol. Now they are both clean and sober but they still are sleeping in different bedrooms. They continue to try to work through their problems and we feel we need to stay out of it. They use to tell us everything and we would be in the middle; however, we told them we couldn't stand it because we loved them both.

Just the past 3 years my son has married and she is a big Republican. Suddenly, my son is a Republican (due to abortion), and for some reason, that totally ticks me off.

[blondeatlast]

7. I'm very fortunate that my current co-workers and supervisor

feel very much as I do, and indeed appreciate my tipping them off to stories they might not see in the MSM.

We had a "moral values" Repub in our office up until about a month ago, which was a bit uncomfortable. She also was the biggest damn goldbricker you ever saw in your life. She was transferred to a "production" area and hasn't got the time to talk anymore. She tends to shoot her mouth off a lot, and is well known for it, so my employer has finally found the spot where she can't do near the harm.

Even when she was with us leading up to the election, she learned pretty fast that bringing up her opposing views wasn't too wise as we are far more well-read than she ever was, so a debate never lasted long.

[demnan]

8. I don't discuss politics much at work

but I do have a coffee cup on my desk with a picture of George Bush that says "You are fucked".

I have amiable relations with Republicans but I won't agree with them. For a time I even worked for the House Republicans, and had good relations with all of them. I refused to tell them who I voted for. But somehow they knew (I guess if you don't agree with them they sense which side you're on) But you have to get along with them, you just have to. And you know, living in the D.C. area and working in and around the Federal government that you will run into people who have some relationship with the administration.

I just changed projects and a guy I worked closely with had this sign in his office which said "Run Hiliary, Run 2008". For a time we thought I would move in and share his office. He took the sign down. I said, why did you move it. I was going to keep it up! We had a laugh about that.

I also find that a lot of people come by my desk and laugh about my cup.

[Bridget Burke]

9. Politics are generally not discussed at my work place.

Of course, those with similar beliefs send out "signals" & we may express our dismay at the current situation when not around "unknowns."

I've had a few instances of a superior spouting right-wing talking points. I answered with polite questions & she changed the subject.

[LibDemAlways]

10. I worked part time for a year in a small office

with three idiot freepers. They had pictures of the chimp in their cubicles and kept the radio permanently tuned to Rush and Hannity. I had nothing to say to them. They were beyond hope and beyond help. I hung on as long as I could by bringing a walkman and drowning out the din. Then, at the first opportunity, I got the hell out. Didn't even say goodbye.

[frankly_fedup2]

11. Yeah, my sister is a teacher (state property/government). . .

and one day during a break the teachers were taking as they worked just before school was about to start again for the year, they were all sitting and eating lunch, talking about the (s)election of 2000 (it had still not been solved by that time).

My sister said she could tell she was the only Dem at the table because all these women talked about was Dubya and his being such a good, Christian. My sister said she stated that his philosophy and beliefs should not dictate what he does as far as policy in the white house. She said they all kind of dummied up after that.

The next morning, however, she came into work, and in her state-property-owned teachers box, someone had placed a bunch of pro Bush political propaganda in her box. Well, my sister has a really loud mouth when she gets pissed. She said she hollerd so loud she made sure it echoed down the halls. (Of course, the students still had not started school, but even if they had, I doubt she would have kept her composure. She said she screamed "WHO THINKS THEY CAN PUT POLITICAL SUBJECT MATERIAL IN MY BOX?" "THAT IS ILLEGAL ON STATE AND GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.

I cannot remember the exact words; however, she told me that the secretary in the office stopped dead and that the principle came out of his office to see what was going on. She said she gave them to the principle and told him they were in her box which is suppose to only be for school-related subject matter, and that no political propaganda was allowed on the property. She said he hemmed and hawed about it, but he agreed with her, and the next bulletin the teachers got stated it very clearly.

She said they never have talked politics again except for one time when someone was talking about John Ashcroft and his nomination for Attorney General, and how horrible the DEMOCRATS were making it for him and him being such a good, Christian man. She said she thought, "here we go again." then she said she came up with a zinger that shut them up. My sister said that in a calm and sweet voice she asked, "Didn't he lose his senate rate to a dead guy this year?" Why would Bush want someone who couldn't even beat a dead man in a senate race. That is really wierd?" She said she just kept going on about Ashcroft and his insufficiencies until everyone had left the room. She felt better after that.