Has This Election Cycle Altered Your Relationships With Friends or Family?

[Lightning Strykez!]

Has This Election Cycle Altered Your Relationships With Friends or Family?​

In my humble opinion, the internet is like a community swimming pool: there are a lot of people in it and sometimes you find things floating around in it that you wish you hadn't seen.

And few topics pull a community together to debate faster than politics. For months, friends or family members may be divided over partisan issues and find themselves in gridlock until an election cycle is over. For Jason and I, it's truly been a divisive factor since we're learning who in our circle REALLY believe in our right to be married legally...it's being reflected in their choice of Presidential candidate.

I feel this particular election has brought to the fore some very strong viewpoints on all sides, not to mention quite a bit of vitriol. More than ever before in history, I think about the proliferation of the internet, newsfeeds i.e. on sites like the Hype!, Facebook, Twitter, etc., where we are exposed to a wide range of personalities and thought processes. Some sites allow us to "block" posts and sometimes you can't avoid them. Sadly, when family and friends express themselves politically or religiously you may discover things that may shock you or even trigger a loss of respect for them.

Interestingly enough, I've heard that the two things that can really inflict long-lasting damage to a friendship are 1.) politics and 2.) religion. I've had friends who have revealed their true thinking patterns on topics like gay marriage, minorities, etc., and I've gotta admit it's hard to look at them the same way after the fact. It's like finding that floating s*** in the Community Pool...it's hard to keep swimming around with that knowledge.

What about you? Has this election cycle damaged or affected your friendships or relationships with family members? Are you concerned about those relationships healing after tomorrow's election?

 

[Schlosser85]

A friend of mine claims to support her various gay friends, but has been singing Romney's praises 24/7 all over her Facebook in as flagrant a way as possible for weeks. I admit I find it obnoxious.

 

[Marvolo]

Ive went head to head with family and friends on a handful of occasions this cycle. Gotta ssy itd hard to do that with my friends. When it comes to politics and religion i tend to be the black sheep of the family and friends. Makes me feel rather lonely when election time roles around.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Not really. The people I know who have political views aren't exactly subtle about them. And the people who don't... still have none.

Though I generally avoid deranged people. Not counting family of course.

 

[warhorse78]

No. My family and friends seem to think on the same wave length.

 

[enterthemadness]

No, this song might though...


[YT]YnM4NGYgl2s[/YT]

This, is my election day/night song. sing it, Mr. Longo.

''Can you feel it? Can you feel it?''

Yes, yes I can.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

No. My family and friends seem to think on the same wave length.

You are blessed! Wish I had that.

 

[Schlosser85]

The majority of my friends and my parents have similar political views, though my parents are mostly apathetic about voting.

I just have a couple friends I can't talk politics with.

 

[Lighthouse]

My brothers and I are liberal, and the whole rest of our family are conservatives. It's tough.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

My brothers and I are liberal, and the whole rest of our family are conservatives. It's tough.

Sounds like Jason and me. We are the only libs in our respective families, he comes from a strong Catholic base. And they are NOT tolerating us...at all. Neither of us are invited to either family's Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners. We are thinking about going on vacation around those times and just be somewhere by ourselves.

 

[Excel]

It is important to remember that there are many, many issues. I chose to focus on common ground rather than differences, and hence often get along well with members of the other side (in person, anyway LOL).

Just because someone is singing Mitt's praises does not mean they are not supporting their gay friends. That isnt a fair connection to make. They may very well be supporting Mittens for a diff. reason.

 

[chaseter]

No because my family and friends know I am not voting and that I do not support Obama or Romney.

 

[enterthemadness]

Sounds like Jason and me. We are the only libs in our respective families, he comes from a strong Catholic base. And they are NOT tolerating us...at all. Neither of us are invited to either family's Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners. We are thinking about going on vacation around those times and just be somewhere by ourselves.

That sucks...if it makes you and your husband feel better...


I voted for Gary Johnson, who among things, believes marriage equality should be a constitutional right, on par with civil rights of the 60's. If he were to win Tuesday(unlikely) or say win in 2016, I imagine he'll have to exec order that one in.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

No, but then again, the members of my family that this election would have an effect on anyways I've already had broken relationships with due to religion and politics.

Although, I did get into a very heated argument with my best friend the other night, in which he said something very offensive. I haven't talked to him since.

The friendship isn't over or anything like that, but I can't talk politics with someone who is so blindly conservative, that the Republican party can do no wrong, Fox News is the gospel, admittedly hopes that Democrats and liberals fail because he only wants to see this nation succeed if it's through Republican conservative policies, and completely blind and oblivious to the fact that there is racism within the Republican party (completely denied that racism exists within the party at any level) and that homosexuals aren't being denied civil rights by not being allowed to marry (he literally says they have no rights being denied to them)

 

[warhorse78]

Well, we all believe in the government getting the hell out of our lives. Pay some taxes for the cops, firefighters and paramedics and the military to keep us safe, and schools for our kids and social security for when we are too old to work anymore. Have the basic rights be protected, no murder, no stealing, no beating somebody up, keep adult situations like booze, smokes and sex away from kids. That's it. If somebody wants to be dumb enough to OD on prescrip medicines, fine, one less dumb ass in the world. What ever consenting adults do behind closed bedroom doors, whatever, it's their business, not mine, and not the government's.

You know what I hate. I hate that I own my own freaking property, but yet, if I want to put up another paddock, I have to go and pay for a damn permit. TO PUT UP A FREAKING FENCE!

 

[Excel]

Sounds like Jason and me. We are the only libs in our respective families, he comes from a strong Catholic base. And they are NOT tolerating us...at all. Neither of us are invited to either family's Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners. We are thinking about going on vacation around those times and just be somewhere by ourselves.

That is disappointing but, the way I would see it, it only says things about them, not yourselves. I have some family members who are VERY conservative (not religious nuts, but quite conservative). Their daughter recently revealed herself; tbh I would have expected bad results, but instead they were more than happy/accepting of it. I found it refreshing when their view of gay marriage and other issues changed, despite remaining quite conservative everywhere else. The only people losing out are the ones shunning individualism. Seriously, I cant wrap my head around it.

 

[chaseter]

There is racism in the Democratic party as well Nell that they deny. Chris Matthews sees racism in his alphabet soup and he preaches that every night.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

There is racism in the Democratic party as well Nell that they deny. Chris Matthews sees racism in his alphabet soup and he preaches that every night.

Absolutely! Any complaints I make about the Republican party, I do not claim Democrats or liberals to be innocent.

My beef is with the fact that my friend so blatantly denies the existence of racism in the Republican / Tea party, all because Sean Hannity says it doesn't exist.

 

[chaseter]

Here is what I do...I don't talk about politics or religion with my friends. If they go on a rant about Mitt Romney or Obama that is totally ******ed...I let them rant and I don't say crap. The people that are so sure of their side of the aisle are the ones that believe everything Chris Matthews or Sean Hannity say. I will let those people live in their little bubble. When they ask what I think, I say I don't care about either side, I'm middle of the road. You can't argue against someone who is middle of the road with talking points.

I love to argue on here though.

 

[Sun_Down]

My girlfriend and I got into an argument in the car on a long road trip (never a good time) about some basic political differences (e.g. I hate Citizen's United, she thinks "might is right" when it comes to buying elections - although I think at that point she was just disagreeing to disagree ). We hashed it out after a few miles. She even voted for my guy in the end, so I "won" haha.

Aside from that, it hasn't really altered any relationships, but it has shed light on some people in my life. Every election cycle I'm surprised when someone who is normally nice and well-meaning says something super racist or misogynistic.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

I made the mistake of having a political conversation with him the other day after I early voted, when I knew what would happen.

I used to be able to have the conversation with him, but as the years have gone on, he's become more and more blindly conservative. Like I said, he flat out says that he hopes for Obama and liberals to fail, and that he only wants to see America succeed if it is due to Republican / Tea party conservative policies. If a liberal Democrat is in office, he wants to see America fail.

He believes anything that Sean Hannity says, hook line and sinker.

I am a hard core liberal that pretty much votes party lines exclusively, but I told him that if I find that conservative policies would work, I would vote for the Republican responsible. I cannot however vote for a candidate that doesn't believe in equal rights for all citizens, and I can't vote for a party that wants to dictate religious morality through law. That being said, I barely ever watch MSNBC because of the partisan hackery that is spewed from that channel, just like Fox News (although I don't believe nearly as bad). I'm focused on the actual policies and the results, not the MSNBC / Fox News back and forth of "I'm right!" "Nuh uh!! I'm right!"

He doesn't reciprocate. He is okay with conservatives shutting down government to stop Obama from doing anything. That's more important to him than Obama actually doing something right. He blindly follows anything that Hannity or O'Reilly say, even if what he believes is blatantly wrong. He cares about nothing more than making sure it's the Republicans who are in power and calling the shots. I can't have the conversation with him anymore.

 

[Hotwire]

Oh, yeah! I try to ignore most of my conservative friends and family posting anti-Obama things on Facebook. However, every so often, they post something that pushes just the right button, and I have to call them on it. It usually ends poorly. I actually had one friend delete my post, and I put his wife on ignore after she called me a Communist for supporting Obama.

 

[Downhere]

I honestly don't think it's worth it to let politics affect the relationships I share with others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I respect that. In my own social circle, I'd say it's pretty evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. In my family, it leans more Democrat while I lean more Conservative/Republican. Although, I do not vote according to party which my track record would prove. I voted for Bush in 2004, Obama in 2008, Alex Sink (D) for Governor of Florida in 2010, and now voting for Romney this year. I say live and let live and vote for whomever your conscience leads you. Life is too short and relationships with those you love should not be hindered just because there's a difference in each others political mindset.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

Well if it hasn't, then it probably will...

I went on Facebook this morning, and an Obama app on Facebook (because I donated to his campaign) posted a "VOTE OBAMA" post on every... person... on... my... friends... list...

More than a bit frustrated about that. I couldn't delete any posts or anything. All I could do was make a status apologizing for that getting sent out to everyone, and hoping against hope that nobody gets pissed off by it.

Because I do have a lot of people on my friends list voting Romney... people who aren't hateful, or bigots, and just simply believe in his policies over Obama... and those people don't deserve to have posts from people like me in their face.

Hopefully nobody gets mad and they realize it was an accident.

 

[bullets]

It seems like most of my family hates Obama, but the majority of my friends support him. I choose not to comment about politics on facebook to avoid arguing. If someone asks , I tell them I don't care who wins.

Today people are saying "You need to let your voice be heard" and stuff like that. I've been pushing towards that as well.

My girlfriend and I have much different political views but it hasn't affected our relationship. I had no idea she was so conservative until this election though.