Politics and personal relationships...

[Mr. Reactionary]

With my eclectic beliefs, if I was only friends with people who thought like me politically, I'd have no friends. Especially since I went to a horribly leftist college.

[TDAS04]

Politics haven't negatively impacted my friendships.  I get along well with some conservatives (though I try to avoid talking politics with them).  Likewise, there are plenty of lefties whom I don't particularly like.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Probably 95% of my friends are Republicans, for a few reasons.  First, being a Republican says more about you than how you vote- it says something about what you value in life.  Second, it is a matter of practicality, since I have done so much for and with conservative and Republican groups that I meet a ton of Republicans.  Now, I have a few liberals in my Facebook feed (its commentary is probably 80-90% conservative), but there are only a few liberals I talk to regularly- and I always enjoy those experiences.  I even talked to a Bernie supporter for a few minutes this afternoon.  I tend to get in more debates with moderate Republicans than with actual liberals, though.

As for dating, a girl absolutely has to share my values, which pretty much means be a conservative Republican.  And, fortunately, I hang out in conservative circles!!

[RINO Tom]

I really don't like discussing politics in real life, so it doesn't come up often.  I feel I have a lot to offer as a friend or significant other, through being kind, personable and relatively interesting on a personal level (I think...), and I'm going to wait a while before I bring up that I believe the big scary rich shouldn't pay more in taxes or something.  My two best friends in the entire world are very liberal pretty much across the board, but they're the types who legitimately respect the views of those who disagree with them, and they don't make the kind of outrageous statements that you see on the Internet from partisans that literally de-humanize their opposition.

I can't imagine a scenario where someone's politics, assuming they are anywhere near the mainstream of American politics (aka no neo-Nazis or anything), would affect our relationship in a serious way ... and I'm trying to keep it that way.

[TJ in Oregon]

On a personal level this year has actually been easier for me than most since although most of the people around me disagree with me on a lot, they're generally more hospitable to me than Trumpishness. For once we can all agree on something.

I used to be very determined to not let politics affect things, but the older I get the more I see friendship in Aristotelian terms: the success of a friendship depends on the two friends falling in love, not with each other but with a third other. The third other doesn't have to be politics per se, but it's hard to be friends with people if they share little or nothing in common with my worldview.

Also a significant number of my friends aren't from the US and don't care about our politics much.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

On a personal level this year has actually been easier for me than most since although most of the people around me disagree with me on a lot, they're generally more hospitable to me than Trumpishness. For once we can all agree on something.

Interesting. It's been the opposite. I get more flack for supporting Hillary Clinton than I ever did for supporting Mitt Romney. Which speaks to how demented these Bernie folks really are, I guess.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

With my eclectic beliefs, if I was only friends with people who thought like me politically, I'd have no friends.

^

I will note however that my girlfriend agrees with me on an awful lot, which is part of what initially intrigued us about each other.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

With my eclectic beliefs, if I was only friends with people who thought like me politically, I'd have no friends.

^

I will note however that my girlfriend agrees with me on an awful lot, which is part of what initially intrigued us about each other.

Marry her.

[Illiniwek]

I have one friend who is really on the Bernie bandwagon, and I think he judges me for / doesn't understand why I am a Hillary supporter. His ugly girlfriend certainly does apparently.

My fiancee grew up in a Republican leaning environment. We agree on most things, but have somewhat different views on how our beliefs apply to the current political environment. She certainly doesn't want Trump, and would uber-reluctantly vote for Hillary over Trump, but there really isnt anyone she likes. She and I also believe to some degree that Trump is running his campaign to help Hillary. She thinks this is a negative, scandalous mark against Hillary, while I wouldn't mind that.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I have one friend who is really on the Bernie bandwagon, and I think he judges me for / doesn't understand why I am a Hillary supporter. His ugly girlfriend certainly does apparently.

My fiancee grew up in a Republican leaning environment. We agree on most things, but have somewhat different views on how our beliefs apply to the current political environment. She certainly doesn't want Trump, and would uber-reluctantly vote for Hillary over Trump, but there really isnt anyone she likes. She and I also believe to some degree that Trump is running his campaign to help Hillary. She thinks this is a negative, scandalous mark against Hillary, while I wouldn't mind that.

It implies a level of genius that hasn't been seen in office since 1974.

[Thunderbird is the word]

I even talked to a Bernie supporter for a few minutes this afternoon.  I tend to get in more debates with moderate Republicans than with actual liberals, though.

Hah, I am a Bernie supporter and can relate. I tend to get in more debates with moderate Democrats then I do with actual conservatives. I think that you and I since we both know where we are with each other and that we probably agree on next to nothing (aside from maybe hating the Clinton's and moderate Republicans) we'd probably get along better with each other then either of us would with our slightly more moderate fellow travelers.

[Mr. Morden]

I've never let the former get in the way of the latter and don't intend to go about starting now. I suppose the Atlas standard is the opposite...

I thought the Atlas standard was to avoid personal relationships altogether?