I read this and couldn't help but think of Ron.

"This column by Katy Burns in the Concord (N.H.) Monitor gave us a giggle:

This election is a friendship destroyer." Barbara--a no-nonsense woman not given to extremist rhetoric or even to exaggeration--was one of a dozen or so people gathered in a comfortable West End living room to watch one of the presidential debates. She spoke with a mixture of incredulity, sorrow and resignation. She could, she said, no longer bear the company of two longtime friends who were on the opposing political side. The friends, apparently, felt the same. There've been words - words that wouldn't be soon forgotten.
Needless to say, all the guests at the debate watching party were of the same electoral persuasion. It seemed safest.
Burns presents a series of similar anecdotes showing how overwrought people are about politics. A friend of hers wants to expel from her family a sister who likes Sarah Palin. Burns herself and a friend "delicately tiptoe" around politics. It wasn't like this in the good old days, when they were able to discuss their differences civilly. Back in 1972, Burns thought her father was nuts for supporting Richard Nixon, but she loved him anyway.

"This is nuts," Burns says:

And I lay a large part of the blame on our departing president and vice president.
In the last seven-plus years, they and their minions have methodically and deliberately painted their opponents not as simply wrong but as morally offensive monsters who would sell the country down the river in a heartbeat. They have governed by manipulating people's fears--and in doing so they've not only encouraged millions of Americans to be perpetually frightened but they've enraged those other millions whom they've cynically demonized.
Hmm, so America is too partisan and it's all the fault of those loathsome Republicans and their "minions." Either Burns has misdiagnosed the problem or she is very much part of it."

From the WSJ op-ed page.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122572555122893259.html

Yes, Ron and a few others too that I can think of.

A few of my closest pals are libs, and we bust eachothers cahones, but it never gets anywhere near to the point where we even dare to question our friendship. Just ballbustin, nothing more.

I have many friends who are liberal and we use most of the news stories about the candidates to bust each other's chops, joke about generalities, etc. We never actually get upset at each other.

And I lay a large part of the blame on our departing president and vice president.
In the last seven-plus years, they and their minions have methodically and deliberately painted their opponents not as simply wrong but as morally offensive monsters who would sell the country down the river in a heartbeat. They have governed by manipulating people's fears--and in doing so they've not only encouraged millions of Americans to be perpetually frightened but they've enraged those other millions whom they've cynically demonized.


If you stop and think about it the real politization of everything began in the 90's.

In the 2000's it seemed that no matter what Bush proposed the opposition "hated it" and him. Didn't matter what it was (even suggesting that more regulation of Freddie and Fannie would be helpful were shouted down because of hatred for Bush).

And now we come to an election in which the "news" reporters of the MSM have openly and unashamedly taken the side of one candidate over the other.

I almost expect a shot at a new "Fort Sumter" to happen and a new civil war break out.

Still...we will have an orderly (for the most part) change in those governing.

My sister is a staunch liberal, She actually wanted biden for pres. I keep asking my mom is she took the right baby home from the hospital. I forward her all my mcCain emails just to drive her crazy. We can actually get into some serious debates over politics but we both understand we will never convince the other to swing their vote but we sure have fun!!!

My wife voted for Obama via mail in ballot. I still let her live with me. I don't understand how anyone could get so worked up over this that they would end relationships over it.

I don't either, I will admit to stirring the pot to get people a little riled up, but that is just my fun friendly self.

Well, Mary Matalin and James Carville can make it work somehow!

Not to mention the Governator and his wife. Arnold recently campaigned for McCain while Maria has been a staunch Obama supporter.

You might remember there was a time where I was arguing with the conservatives on this board. I fall pretty much down the middle, with only Ron painting me with the conservative brush (he has a short memory too, which ended when I decided not to vote for Obama).

I am socially liberal, fiscally conservative, so I can find things I like and dislike in either party's candidate. So it isn't so hard for us. She is pretty similar, although leans a little further left than I do on some things.

My daughter told me this morning that she and my wife (also her mother) had an argument last night over politics. My daughter is voting for Obama and has Obama buttons all over her school backpack (she's in graduate school), but she doesn't get in people's face (as Obama has suggested his supporters do). My wife is not an Obama supporter. But I'm sure they still love each other.

My Medical Director (Yes I work in a Hospital) said the other day, that trying to have a reasonable conversation with an Obama supporter was like trying to talk to one of the patients from the Psych Ward.




And believe me, it's Crazy down in the Psych Ward!

My sister and I will not discuss politics with our parents. We disagree with them but we love them and don't want to hurt our relationship so we don't discuss it.

i got the drinks for the party ship where do you want them?

My in-laws are die hard democrats and I am not but that doesn't interfere with our relationship. Yes, we do zing each other once in a while but that is the extent of it.

Of course they are not thrilled that their daughter and grand daugthers are conservatives and not democrats but again that doesn't affect the relationships. It is a hoot to see my youngest (21) get into a discussion with her grandparents and make her case very well.

My parents cannot discuss it without getting upset and angry. They are FDR democrats and just don't understand that the democratic party no longer subcribes to those principles. They do not discuss - they get angry and yell. It just isn't worth it. Their minds are concrete and allow no light in at all or tolerance for other's points of view.

Bimmy...was that YOU!?!?????

waldensouth: I'm curious. Which FDR principles do you think the Democratic Party no longer subscribes to?