OT: Anyone lose a friend over a political disagreement?

Or I could also ask would anyone here choose to not be friends with someone because you share different political beliefs? As for the title I've never lost a friend over politics (though I've heard other people say they have). In fact I don't discuss politics that much with friends. I ask this question because I had a long time buddy post this on Facebook today:

"If you're voting for Mitt and his racist, sexist, idiot little hand puppet, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore. I think it's best if we just go our separate ways."

Pretty blunt and straight forward. I'm not asking this from a left-wing or right-wing perspective I'm just curious how many people think they would post something like this on Facebook or that politics is too personal or important that you couldn't be friends with someone you are not in agreement with?

if your friend says stuff like that to you can gives you those type of ultimatums, then I think they are a pretty shitty friend.
 
I don't usually talk about politics with people. When it comes up I am usually vague and non-committal. If people really press me or really want to talk about it, then I'll open up, but it's not my default. Most probably definitely think I am more liberal than I actually am, as I can be liberal-ish on some social issues, and that's what usually talked about these days, not fiscal stuff. People just tend to think if you Believe x you must be leave y and z as well.

But I am also the most political of anyone that I know in my life. So it honestly doesn't even come up all that much.

I just don't like being defined by politics for starters, or any particul subset of values, and with politics, I think that happens way too often. And also i am just a naturally guarded person. People have to really be close if they want to find out a lot about me.
 
Are you of the opinion that you and I are friends?

No?

Then why in the fuck would you think I would give a damn about what an assclown like you thinks of my vote?

You're just this really crabby ass blip on my screen that always has something really stupid to say.

Keep posting to me if you must.

I like making fun of you. :0)


friends?....I'd say 'not'.....
but you go on and make fun, enjoy yourself.....you certainly have no debate skills and little to post in response.....

Its normal for pinheads to make fun and come back with nothing of importance to say......I sure as hell ain't losing any sleep over it.

Just format C: and watch BSMBC....
 
I don't usually talk about politics with people. When it comes up I am usually vague and non-committal. If people really press me or really want to talk about it, then I'll open up, but it's not my default. Most probably definitely think I am more liberal than I actually am, as I can be liberal-ish on some social issues, and that's what usually talked about these days, not fiscal stuff. People just tend to think if you Believe x you must be leave y and z as well.

But I am also the most political of anyone that I know in my life. So it honestly doesn't even come up all that much.

I just don't like being defined by politics for starters, or any particul subset of values, and with politics, I think that happens way too often. And also i am just a naturally guarded person. People have to really be close if they want to find out a lot about me.

I can be a lot like you dude. If I don't know the people I'm with and politics comes up I keep my opinions to myself. I'll ask questions but I won't really chime in with my opinions.
 
friends?....I'd say 'not'.....
but you go on and make fun, enjoy yourself.....you certainly have no debate skills and little to post in response.....

Its normal for pinheads to make fun and come back with nothing of importance to say......I sure as hell ain't losing any sleep over it.

Just format C: and watch BSMBC....

You're damn straight we aren't friends .. so why would you think I'd give a fuck about what somebody I don't like has to say about anything, let alone how I cast my vote?

You don't even know how to debate civilly. Your every post is just grumpy ass stupidity.

It must really hurt to be you.

Just go the fuck away you silly ass thing.
 
On principle, I won't make an emotional investment in racists and/or bigots. None of my close friends possess these despicable tendencies and if they did, the intervention I would unleash on them would be ongoing until they came to their senses or the relationship deteriorated. Sorry, but I can't abide or accept it.
 
Yeah, it's like I'd have to have republican friends to fall out with. Cawacko's life took a different trajectory than mine. I remember his once expressing disbelief over the idea of not being friends with Republicans. But when I was young and single and hanging out with a very large crowd of friends, I can clearly remember all of us being horrified at the 92 Republican convention. That "we're going to take back our cities street by street" thuggery just doesn't play well with 20 somethings. And by then my circle of friends, and it was wide back then, were already okay with gays and really not at all tolerant of racism.

Then I settled down into domesticity like so many make the mistake of doing, and my circle of friends really became much smaller. There simply weren't any Republicans in it. So who the hell am I going to fall out with? Now family is another thing, but maybe it comes from being Irish/Italian, my family is used to loud fights and we don't "fall out" over stuff like politics. Not my immediate family. I have an aunt who defriended me on fb, she's a teabagger. To be clear I never answered her teabagging posts and there were some beauts, but she defriended me right after a post I made about Jamie Dimon. Like her and Dimon were big compatriots or something. I mean, really hysterical stuff. But at my brother's wedding I was totally cool to her, because I don't give a shit. That is just how I am, and I would never cause my mother grief over some moron in my extended family.

The only time this has become an issue for me is in business, as I gain a wider and wider circle of acquaintances and they are nearly all right wing. Not people I would chose as friends. And then some of them will do such cool stuff for me and open up great opportunities for me, but then I'll hear them say something so dickish politically, and it's really cognitive dissonance for me. But when they get close enough I tell them, I'm a Democrat. I think because I'm a woman (they are almost all men), it doesn't bother them. That's their innate sexism showing and I know that.
 
I won't discuss politics or religion at work.

I can't avoid it. Literally. At my main networking group that meets once a week it literally is always brought up, and it is literally always Obama/Democrat/Liberal bashing.

So I either have to play the " I don't follow politics" game, or I have to say that I am a dem because it's for sure I am not going to pretend to be a con. There is one lawyer in the group who has come out as "leaning dem" and boy do they all trot out their bullshit for him every week. I swear to God they all think they are going to change his mind. I don't want them to think it's a good idea to regale me with their bullshit, I mean we are talking about a table full of Superfreaks, Damos, and well this group is a bit too high level to have a bravo or god knows an alias in it, but we are talking about Superfreaks and Damos and we do have at least one Tinfoil, and so that should tell you what you need to know. Loudmouthed and convinced they know better than everyone else and anyone who doesn't think like they do is a moron.
 
I can't avoid it. Literally. At my main networking group that meets once a week it literally is always brought up, and it is literally always Obama/Democrat/Liberal bashing.

So I either have to play the " I don't follow politics" game, or I have to say that I am a dem because it's for sure I am not going to pretend to be a con. There is one lawyer in the group who has come out as "leaning dem" and boy do they all trot out their bullshit for him every week. I swear to God they all think they are going to change his mind. I don't want them to think it's a good idea to regale me with their bullshit, I mean we are talking about a table full of Superfreaks, Damos, and well this group is a bit too high level to have a bravo or god knows an alias in it, but we are talking about Superfreaks and Damos and we do have at least one Tinfoil, and so that should tell you what you need to know. Loudmouthed and convinced they know better than everyone else and anyone who doesn't think like they do is a moron.

While you can't avoid being around it (neither can I), I can certainly avoid the debate at work, and I do. My coworkers know generally where I stand and 'enlightening' me to the conservative viewpoint isn't negotiable because 1) I won't avail myself to the debate at work, and; 2) when it's been attempted by someone, I simply say, 'I've already explored your ideology - that's why I'm not a Republican'. That usually shuts them up.
 
While you can't avoid being around it (neither can I), I can certainly avoid the debate at work, and I do. My coworkers know generally where I stand and 'enlightening' me to the conservative viewpoint isn't negotiable because 1) I won't avail myself to the debate at work, and; 2) when it's been attempted by someone, I simply say, 'I've already explored your ideology - that's why I'm not a Republican'. That usually shuts them up.

I like that. :)
 
While you can't avoid being around it (neither can I), I can certainly avoid the debate at work, and I do. My coworkers know generally where I stand and 'enlightening' me to the conservative viewpoint isn't negotiable because 1) I won't avail myself to the debate at work, and; 2) when it's been attempted by someone, I simply say, 'I've already explored your ideology - that's why I'm not a Republican'. That usually shuts them up.


Thats as good a cop out as any I've heard.......Like the saying goes, " Its better to be quiet and have people think you're stupid, than to speak and leave them no doubt".....

Now lets hear the playground comebacks....
 
Thats as good a cop out as any I've heard.......Like the saying goes, " Its better to be quiet and have people think you're stupid, than to speak and leave them no doubt".....

Now lets hear the playground comebacks....

I'll bet you're a real cut-up at work, preaching righty hate at the water cooler. :D
 
friends?....I'd say 'not'.....
but you go on and make fun, enjoy yourself.....you certainly have no debate skills and little to post in response.....

Its normal for pinheads to make fun and come back with nothing of importance to say......I sure as hell ain't losing any sleep over it.

Just format C: and watch BSMBC....

BAC has no debate skills, Popeye, you are hilarious!
 
My thoughts are that a friend lost over political views was never much of a friend.
 
First, I have to say that the VAST majority of my friends (20 to 1) are liberal or very libertarian. Very few people I hang out with in social settings, are conservatives like myself. I am very often the only conservative in the group.

I have never had a problem with friends and politics until recently. Up until about 2 years ago, I could get along with most of my liberal friends, and had no problem remaining friends, although we often disagreed. Mostly, this was due on my part, to simply not discussing political views with them. I would change subjects or just tell them we're never going to agree, so let's move on. Up until a couple years ago, that seemed to work fine, I don't think I lost any friendships. But here lately, the liberals want to be 'in your face' with hostile tones and challenges that remind me of HERE! I can't deal with it, and I usually let them have a little sample of what I shell out here to pinheads. Some have been able to tone it down and remain civil, others react more hostilely and won't speak to me any more. I have about 3 or 4 who KNOW they can't discuss politics with me, and have learned to not get into it. There are a couple more who WANT to skirt around and try to get me into a debate, but I can usually deal with them. And then I have a bunch of friends who completely disagree with me on politics, but like me, they know it's a topic best left alone, if we expect to be friends.
 
First, I have to say that the VAST majority of my friends (20 to 1) are liberal or very libertarian.

with a ratio like that you'd better have more than seven friends....because we'll never figure out what to do with the third of a friend left over....
 
It depends on how far you extend it. For me it extends and is tied in to almost everything. I have learned it is best to avoid the subject and any tie ins except with my closest friends and family. When I have been tempted it almost always leads to misunderstanding.

People read between the lines too much, are overly cynical and morbidly curious. So they tend to assume the worst no matter how much you share. Seems that is what your friend has done.

Is he in a hot zone? I have made smaller mistakes myself but usually back off. Your friend may soon regret his comments. If you plan on voting for that racist, sexist, idiot hand puppet, you should try to let him know the bridge still stands.

I certainly would not end a friendship based on who you were voting for but maybe why.

This is why facebook sucks. The dream was to use it as a social networking tool. But now even the "cool kids" (they seemed so... now they are losers) and retirees are crawling the net. I mean there were always little geeks online but they were mostly good kids who were looking for a safe place to be geeky. Once it became ubiquitous it went straight to hell. Now, everybody uses it to look up people they moved away from and reopen old wounds. Either that or new "so called" friends use it to dig around in your business. It's become what myspace was from the start, a new age "trapper keeper." The original was better named.
 
Back
Top