OT- Discussing politics with friends…

[seattle-relo]

I may have training as a counselor with decent communication skills, but in my own personal life, when my own beliefs/opinions are being questioned, I really find it challenging to not get offended or not preach when talking politics. I am wondering how you guys deal with intense political conversations with friends/family without damaging the relationship.

I have a good friend that I meet in a first time mom’s group 7 years ago, we have the “mommy” thing in common, but when it comes to religion, politics, finance, education, we have nothing in common. Last night she was over drinking wine and said “Man that Obama is scary, he won’t wear the American flag pin! So is Hillary, thank go neither one of them won’t be the next president “- ( I can respect that she is a republican – we all have the right to our own political views), but then she spewed off a bunch of nonsense, uneducated crap about her misconceptions of all the canidates and their parties, about Bush (who she likes), the economy, etc…

Again, like I said, I repect that others have different views, and I would gladly talk politics with them if the had some education and knowledge on the subject, but when someone has strong opinions, but doesn’t have a clue about what they are talking about – it makes me crazy!! 🙂 I wonder how you guys deal with that. I don’t bring up politics (or religion), but this friend brings up stuff out of the blue, I can’t help myself and feel the need to educate her…then of course it gets messy, especially after the 2nd glass of pinot noir 🙂

So, in your experience, how do you respond without saying ” I don’t want to talk politics” …just wondering.

[meadandale]

“we all have the right to our own political views…but then she spewed off a bunch of nonsense, uneducated crap about her misconceptions…”

Frankly, you sound like a typical liberal elitist. If someone doesn’t side with your political opinion, their views must be nonsense or crap and they must be ‘uneducated’.

Let me ask you, have you formulated your OWN opinions or do you just parrot the crap you hear on Air America, The Daily Kos or MoveOn.org?? If someone gets you off your ‘message’ can you continue to have an intelligent dialog or do you keep steering back to your talking points?

Please think HARD about these questions before giving in to your ‘need’ to educate anybody politically.

If I were you, I’d just avoid political discussion altogether.

[meadandale]

“we all have the right to our own political views…but then she spewed off a bunch of nonsense, uneducated crap about her misconceptions…”

Frankly, you sound like a typical liberal elitist. If someone doesn’t side with your political opinion, their views must be nonsense or crap and they must be ‘uneducated’.

Let me ask you, have you formulated your OWN opinions or do you just parrot the crap you hear on Air America, The Daily Kos or MoveOn.org?? If someone gets you off your ‘message’ can you continue to have an intelligent dialog or do you keep steering back to your talking points?

Please think HARD about these questions before giving in to your ‘need’ to educate anybody politically.

If I were you, I’d just avoid political discussion altogether.

[meadandale]

“we all have the right to our own political views…but then she spewed off a bunch of nonsense, uneducated crap about her misconceptions…”

Frankly, you sound like a typical liberal elitist. If someone doesn’t side with your political opinion, their views must be nonsense or crap and they must be ‘uneducated’.

Let me ask you, have you formulated your OWN opinions or do you just parrot the crap you hear on Air America, The Daily Kos or MoveOn.org?? If someone gets you off your ‘message’ can you continue to have an intelligent dialog or do you keep steering back to your talking points?

Please think HARD about these questions before giving in to your ‘need’ to educate anybody politically.

If I were you, I’d just avoid political discussion altogether.

[meadandale]

“we all have the right to our own political views…but then she spewed off a bunch of nonsense, uneducated crap about her misconceptions…”

Frankly, you sound like a typical liberal elitist. If someone doesn’t side with your political opinion, their views must be nonsense or crap and they must be ‘uneducated’.

Let me ask you, have you formulated your OWN opinions or do you just parrot the crap you hear on Air America, The Daily Kos or MoveOn.org?? If someone gets you off your ‘message’ can you continue to have an intelligent dialog or do you keep steering back to your talking points?

Please think HARD about these questions before giving in to your ‘need’ to educate anybody politically.

If I were you, I’d just avoid political discussion altogether.

[meadandale]

“we all have the right to our own political views…but then she spewed off a bunch of nonsense, uneducated crap about her misconceptions…”

Frankly, you sound like a typical liberal elitist. If someone doesn’t side with your political opinion, their views must be nonsense or crap and they must be ‘uneducated’.

Let me ask you, have you formulated your OWN opinions or do you just parrot the crap you hear on Air America, The Daily Kos or MoveOn.org?? If someone gets you off your ‘message’ can you continue to have an intelligent dialog or do you keep steering back to your talking points?

Please think HARD about these questions before giving in to your ‘need’ to educate anybody politically.

If I were you, I’d just avoid political discussion altogether.

[Bugs]

It’s an election year, a time when partisanship peaks. Right now some of pundits are talking about how the Obama/Clinton contest could create serious long term damage to the Democratic Party. So even within the two big political parties there are partisans who can’t discuss politics with each other in civil terms.

I reckon you’d have to have a real relationship with someone before you could “safely” discuss politics outside your partisan circle. That narrows my safe group down to less than a dozen people.

[Bugs]

It’s an election year, a time when partisanship peaks. Right now some of pundits are talking about how the Obama/Clinton contest could create serious long term damage to the Democratic Party. So even within the two big political parties there are partisans who can’t discuss politics with each other in civil terms.

I reckon you’d have to have a real relationship with someone before you could “safely” discuss politics outside your partisan circle. That narrows my safe group down to less than a dozen people.

[Bugs]

It’s an election year, a time when partisanship peaks. Right now some of pundits are talking about how the Obama/Clinton contest could create serious long term damage to the Democratic Party. So even within the two big political parties there are partisans who can’t discuss politics with each other in civil terms.

I reckon you’d have to have a real relationship with someone before you could “safely” discuss politics outside your partisan circle. That narrows my safe group down to less than a dozen people.

[Bugs]

It’s an election year, a time when partisanship peaks. Right now some of pundits are talking about how the Obama/Clinton contest could create serious long term damage to the Democratic Party. So even within the two big political parties there are partisans who can’t discuss politics with each other in civil terms.

I reckon you’d have to have a real relationship with someone before you could “safely” discuss politics outside your partisan circle. That narrows my safe group down to less than a dozen people.

[Bugs]

It’s an election year, a time when partisanship peaks. Right now some of pundits are talking about how the Obama/Clinton contest could create serious long term damage to the Democratic Party. So even within the two big political parties there are partisans who can’t discuss politics with each other in civil terms.

I reckon you’d have to have a real relationship with someone before you could “safely” discuss politics outside your partisan circle. That narrows my safe group down to less than a dozen people.

[nostradamus]

Last night George Stefanopolis (sp?) asked Obama about wearing the flag pin. What the hell is it about this flag pin? Obama responded, basically, “I love my country”. I was wondering if anyone really cared about this flag pin thing… I guess your friend latched on to that!

BTW Obama said he wore the flag pin “yesterday”.

I discuss politics freely with my friends, we often disagree but never have hard feelings about it. Maybe you need new friends.

Did anyone see Clinton and Obama on “The Colbert Report” last night? It was pretty funny.

[nostradamus]

Last night George Stefanopolis (sp?) asked Obama about wearing the flag pin. What the hell is it about this flag pin? Obama responded, basically, “I love my country”. I was wondering if anyone really cared about this flag pin thing… I guess your friend latched on to that!

BTW Obama said he wore the flag pin “yesterday”.

I discuss politics freely with my friends, we often disagree but never have hard feelings about it. Maybe you need new friends.

Did anyone see Clinton and Obama on “The Colbert Report” last night? It was pretty funny.

[nostradamus]

Last night George Stefanopolis (sp?) asked Obama about wearing the flag pin. What the hell is it about this flag pin? Obama responded, basically, “I love my country”. I was wondering if anyone really cared about this flag pin thing… I guess your friend latched on to that!

BTW Obama said he wore the flag pin “yesterday”.

I discuss politics freely with my friends, we often disagree but never have hard feelings about it. Maybe you need new friends.

Did anyone see Clinton and Obama on “The Colbert Report” last night? It was pretty funny.

[nostradamus]

Last night George Stefanopolis (sp?) asked Obama about wearing the flag pin. What the hell is it about this flag pin? Obama responded, basically, “I love my country”. I was wondering if anyone really cared about this flag pin thing… I guess your friend latched on to that!

BTW Obama said he wore the flag pin “yesterday”.

I discuss politics freely with my friends, we often disagree but never have hard feelings about it. Maybe you need new friends.

Did anyone see Clinton and Obama on “The Colbert Report” last night? It was pretty funny.

[Author]

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