And I don't mean just being "friendly" to someone who is 180 from you politically, I mean good friends. Someone you spend time with, go to their house, play golf, break bread together, go to each others kids ball games, that kind of friend.

 

From the posts on this board in some of the threads, it's easy to see there are some who fall greatly on different sides of the political spectrum. Is it to hard to be close friends with someone that far separated in beliefs? And remember, some of the differences politically can also involve differences in values and morals too, so I believe that has to play a part as well.

Without question. Choosing friends by their political affiliation is stupid IMO.

It is hard for me to comment because I am in the middle, so no one is going to be diametrically opposite. I have more friends on the right than the left even though I consider myself on the left side of the middle on the majority of issues. I think if you are tea party/radical right or ultra liberal left, it would be difficult to be good friends with someone on the other side.

Like VOR, I'm a moderate/in the middle, so no one is going to be so far opposed that I can't deal. It helps that I learned how to deal with the opposites because one grandmother was a party line Democrat and the other set of grandparents staunch Republicans.

 

I sat through several years of one of my best friends lauding the greatness of George W. Bush, a president that I could not stand. If I could get through that I can get through just about anything. I was even gracious enough not to unload on him when he began complaining about President Bush about 4 months into his second term.

Without question. Choosing friends by their political affiliation is stupid IMO.

 

Don't disagree with you there UKMF. I will say though that, personally I have had a few instances in my life where I have separated myself from...not close friends but people I considered friends...simply because of the way they "wore" their politics "on their sleeves" so to speak. When everything becomes a political argument/debate/discussion, that can wear on ones patience and gets old, especially when it's from someone on the other side of the spectrum ideologically. I guess it's slightly more tolerable from someone with the same beliefs...but ONLY slightly...that can get old quickly too.

You either choose not to talk about those issues, or you do it respectfully in the good spirit of debate, and know when to end an argument before it ends a friendship. Simple as that, right?

You either choose not to talk about those issues, or you do it respectfully in the good spirit of debate, and know when to end an argument before it ends a friendship. Simple as that, right?

 

You got it. Takes both to do that though too, but I believe it can be done.

You got it. Takes both to do that though too, but I believe it can be done.

 

Some people just take that stuff too personally and can't step away from it and be reasonable about all angles, including when to stop talking about it.

My dad always says never talk politics or religion with family.

 

I have cousins that are constantly posting their political views on FB. I don't care for that at all.

Don't disagree with you there UKMF. I will say though that, personally I have had a few instances in my life where I have separated myself from...not close friends but people I considered friends...simply because of the way they "wore" their politics "on their sleeves" so to speak. When everything becomes a political argument/debate/discussion, that can wear on ones patience and gets old, especially when it's from someone on the other side of the spectrum ideologically. I guess it's slightly more tolerable from someone with the same beliefs...but ONLY slightly...that can get old quickly too.

 

Don't disagree, but I find those people regardless of their political affiliation insufferable, so I wouldn't necessarily say whether we agreed or disagreed politically would matter. I wouldn't hang out with someone who shared the same beliefs as me that was like that.

Absolutely. Very close friend of 52 years is on the opposite political side from me on most issues. Shoot, my wife and kids are on the opposite side of me on many, many issues. Don't worry, I'm not giving up on them and will save them eventually. Until then I like eating in the kitchen, the dining room is too far away from the food.

My dad always says never talk politics or religion with family.

 

I have cousins that are constantly posting their political views on FB. I don't care for that at all.

 

I know of friendships that have been relatively lost because of this very thing. Someone posts all their political rants/diatribes/arguments on their facebook...someone "unfriends" them so they don't have to see all that stuff cause its almost all they post, person gets upset because they have been "unfriended", and so it goes. I don't mind and can actually enjoy a spirited political debate, but much like a very sweet, heavy dessert, it's best in very small doses.

For sure. A work buddy from Chicago and I have no political beliefs in common. We know we will never convince the other to move. We agree not to talk to much about it.

We did find a common bond. We both do not like soccer.

Absolutely. I have plenty of good friends who are opposite of me politically. Family as well. It's not hard at all.

 

#mybestfriendisarepublican

Papa & PP92 are two of my best friends on BGP. I've had the pleasure of meeting both & consider both of them very good friends. I think that best answers the question.