Do you have conservative or Republican friends? Can you keep them?

[Bucky]

How do they explain their odd views and support of quaintly antisocial government policies?
Do you have lively arguments with them, or do things turn nasty, to the point of jeopardizing the friendship?

Are they in the habit of attacking as "socialism" every time some suggests it would be good idea to share or cooperate? Or do they "click on" their Republicanism when the topic turns to politics?

Or do you find it safer to just navigate your way around political topics in the interest of staying friends?

Or are you one of those people who don't like to have friends from that end of the spectrum?

[Pawel K]

1. Actually I do

and I try to keep politics and friendship as far away as possible. Sometimes the discussions do turn ugly but most of the time when they do happen they are civil. Last week I actually had a very interesting 2 hour long discussion with my boss who is totally right wing. Ended up being a lot more rational than I thought.

[ileus]

3. I have hippie, fundie, gay, straight, and, repuke friends.

It's that easy, we all have jobs and pay taxes, some vote some don't. Some are rational some aren't...Really that's life, the 50 50 +/-5% split we've seen in most elections is accurate. Why limit yourself I never get blasted for being easy to get along with.

[Forkboy]

2. My brother in law is a graduate of Bob Jones University.

I don't see him more than once a year, but we manage to keep it light.He laughs at my Repub jokes, so he's not all bad.Last I heard he was pissed about Chavez. :D

[intheflow]

4. I have to navigate in my family.

Politics is strictly taboo at family gatherings. My sister and I (and our SO's) are all progressives, my parents are Fox News junkies. It's just too painful to hear them spout on about how they don't want socialism (their wording exactly), although they don't have much to say about how Bush has run the country into the ground.

I lost a very good friend over his conservatism. He's a gay Republican, worked for a repuke governor. Has to drink heavily to get through the day, but I'm sure one has nothing to do with the other. :eyes:

[mondo joe]

5. I don't have friends that are significantly at odds with my values. I don't know why I would.

[Buzz Clik]

6. Friends, family, colleagues. Our differences in politics cause no strain.

[zabet]

7. Yes, and yes.

It is interesting to discuss different points
of view, as long as it can be done with a modicum
of civility.

[The Straight Story]

8. Politics has nothing to do with friendship/family really to me (short answer - yes)

My best friend is gay and votes republican/independent.

We can, and have, talked politics quite a bit - it has no bearing on our friendship.

And wouldn't we, as progressives, bitch a blue streak if someone who is Christian asked a similar question (ie, do you have non-Christian friends and can you keep them)?

[Ian David]

9. I jettisoned my last Republicker "friend" on August 29, 2005. n/t

[Bucky]

11. That seems so sad to me

I guess it was complicated.

[Ian David]

16. Being a Bushy ceased to be socially acceptable after Hurricane Katrina. n/t

[Mojambo]

10. I have one conservative Christian friend

And you know, we get along pretty darn well.

We'll talk politics every so often, but it rarely degenerates into a fight.

Most of the time we focus on our mutual interests (TV shows, movies, books etc) and will discuss the heavier stuff along the margins or in email communications where it's easy for us both to get out our viewpoints without having to argue in real time.

About the only topic that is completely off the table is abortion, because neither of us is interested in moving a bit on that particular issue.

I have gotten him to move a little on corporate power and the need to look at taxation in a different light however. He's still wound pretty tight on the right wing "It's my money!" meme though.

[crim son]

12. I have various republican friends/acquaintances.

While I wouldn't end a friendship over politics unless the "friend" forced the issue, I have limited my contact with those repukes who actively support the shrub, or think our presence in Iraq is justifiable. The thing is, I don't know a heck of a lot of republicans who can tolerate our pResident and his wars. These people believe that the shrub is an anomaly. They don't see what republicanism has become, any more than some of us are willing to admit that our democrat representatives are often indistinguishable from our repuke representatives.

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. Yes, I'd like to keep them

Locked in a vault until mid-Nov. 2008

[patrice]

14. No and No. And at this point, I'm pretty much ready to

begin all phone calls to local trades persons or service providers with "Iraq War? Good? or Bad?"

[143tbone]

15. Major flaw in their character

A friend told me once that if people she knew voted for Bush
the first time, well, okay. But if they voted for him the
second time then she felt that they had a major flaw in their
character and she wanted nothing to do with them. I concur. I
have NO Republican friends. I do not want any Republican
friends. I hold them responsible for an incredible amount of
horror that has been inflicted upon innumerable human beings
on this planet. Not to mention the planet itself.

[mvccd1000]

17. What's the definition of a bigot? :)

A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own. -en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigot

I have friends from several spectrums, including those from other countries who could not care less who is the president of the US.

[Beelzebud]

18. I used to have a "9/11 Republican" friend.

He totally went Dennis Miller 9/11 nuts.

He stopped calling in 2002, shortly after I challenged him to enlist in the armed forces, since he was so gung-ho about us invading Iraq. Typical chicken-hawk.

[guitar man]

19. It is impossible to live here

And not be around them, interact with them and yes, become friends with them. The fun part I would not have missed out on is watching them in utter disbelief of what is happening. One by one, that disbelief is becoming acceptance, then buyer's remorse.

Talking to my Repub brother the other day, I was shocked to find out he is coming over to us from the dark side. He has had it with the anti-worker economic policies of the repubs. A thousand taunts ran through my mind all at once, I wanted to scream "I told you so" or "it's about damn time" or some such thing. In the end, all I could think of to say was "welcome aboard".

I saw no need to beat him up, his former party did a pretty good job of that already.

[pink-o]

20. my father watches Faux Noise exclusively...

...more so now that my liberal mother isn't around to stop him. But he and I have butted heads ever since 1968 when I was 13 and Nixon got elected. We don't let it interfere with our familial relationship.

But you don't pick your family, as you do your friends. And honestly, I've never been able to get close to anyone whose values are so radically different from my own. My very good friend was married to a RW'er; we made sure we only spoke of music and sports. Unfortunately, the man indoctrinated his sons, who're in their early 20s now. I really like these kids, and I've known them since they were little, so I don't come on too strong. Besides, I remember what it was like to have old people condescend to you and say you were too young to understand the ways of the world. So I guess you can say these kids are the closest I have to righty friends.

And as for every marrying a repub: never happen. I can't imagine staying with a man who felt that way, no matter how many other attractive qualities he might have.

[scorpiogirl]

21. I had a friend not too long ago.

She thinks Bush is a 'saint' for banning late term abortion (of course that wasn't her terminology). I dared to suggest to her in an email that we need national health care and she called it 'socialized medicine' and said it wouldn't work. I then asked her how she felt about 50M people without health insurance and was she ok with insurance companies deciding if she lives or dies. She said I made her sound heartless, but I think if the shoe fits...There was a continuation of exchanges that ended with us deciding not to be friends anymore. That's fine with me. I find it disgusting that she has no problem with people dying for profit. Even though I think she's nice in a shallow sort of way I haven't been able to get past the rest of it. She basically voted for Bush for one issue and does not pay attention past that. I can't get over the cavalier attitude and dismissal of possible solutions to problems that are plaguing our society. I'm tired of tolerating the delusional.

on edit: added 'to problems'