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Can Conservatives Have Liberal Friends, Or Even Partners?
ClashDaily.com ^ | Joy | Donald

Posted on 10/16/2013 1:12:43 PM PDT by IChing

Yes and no. Yes, as in, it is possible, and no, as in, it’s not normal in the soul sense.

Of course, one immediately thinks of famous, mysteriously married, bi-partisan power-couples such as top republican consultant Mary Matalin and top democrat strategist James Carville. They’ve been happily wedded for twenty years. Amazingly, they actually met (in 1991) while each was about to be hired to manage opposing presidential campaigns; Matalin for George H. W. Bush, and Carville for Bill Clinton. They claim publicly that they don’t talk politics at home. When they appear on TV together, it’s actually pretty amusing to observe their playful jousting over public issues.

Or, perhaps less applicably, we have the dynamic duo of RINO former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and media maven/Kennedy-clan Obama shill Maria Shriver, who may be headed to Splits-ville after all.

Then we come back to the reality of everyday life among us, the comparative so-called hoi polloi. The real hazards and occasional rewards of odd-couple, opposites-attracting, friendships and relationships are in evidence everywhere. We all have at least some experience with this.

In the way of caveats about fellowship with people who don’t share our faith, those of us who are religious can point to the Biblical admonition about being “unequally yoked” with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14).

For that matter, when liberals and moderates try to insist that Islam can peacefully coexist with the non-Muslim world, we vigilant conservatives can easily point to the many passages in Islamic scriptures which forbid followers of Mohammed from taking friends among the “kuffar(non-Muslims).” We’re on solid ground, in terms of referencing Muslims’ own doctrine, which also says that it’s perfectly okay for Muslims to lie and pretend (“taqiyya” and “kitman”) to be friends with us, and give the appearance of cooperating, if it in actuality helps advance the overall goal of Islamic conquest of the globe.

But back to our more mundane daily lives.

Many of us have friendly workplace colleagues who differ with us drastically on major political topics, and for the sake of keeping things professional and amiable at work, we do our best to avoid getting too involved in sensitive political discussions and diatribes. That is, those of us who prefer to keep our jobs, and keep workplace aggravation to a minimum.

Then there are the various family members with whom we profoundly disagree, yet maintain all sorts of uneasy truces over inflammatory subjects in the news, tiptoeing gingerly around the political minefield while exchanging rote pleasantries and cordiality where necessary. Those can be the more touchy and explosive relationships that sometimes are better allowed to lie dormant indefinitely.

In this cyber-age of social media and online networking, almost everyone has reunited with old pals from our school and/or military days, with lost loves, former coworkers, estranged relatives, and so on. Plus there are the new online friends and acquaintances in our lists. As often as not, people we’ve never even met in person become fast friends through shared interests and discussion threads, mutual friends, political causes, or just liking their profile picture, initially.

Those venturing into the dating world, both online and off, know full well the vagaries posed by political differences which arise when getting to know, and attempting to develop relationships with, significant others.

It’s when things go bad that we step back and wonder if it’s even realistic to try to maintain certain associations, though.

Shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing, I had reconnected on Facebook with an old pal from my long ago drinking days in my youth, from whom I’d become estranged and had had no contact for many years. I made the mistake of immediately sending him one of my columns on ClashDaily.com, and he didn’t take too kindly to my efforts/sharing. His initial reaction?: ”Good lord, don’t start sending me Bill Ayres(sic) conspiracy type shit. I’m actually thinking of deleting FB account. I never use it.”

We argued, and had some choice words for each other. Here are his final words to me on Facebook: ”Seriously, Don, you’re a megalomaniac. And I don’ t care to hear your flatulence rising from the right wing fever swamps. To quote you from yesterday, why don’t you go f*** yourself. I’m blocking you.”

*Sigh*

To quote Rodney King(r.i.p.), “Can we all get along? Can we get along??”

Probably not; not always, anyway…but sometimes, we can–sometimes, for decades. I believe it’s a question of specific circumstances, complex chemistry, and spiritual forbearance. Either we work with what’s workable, or we don’t. It’s work, that’s for sure, and as with any kind of work, there are rewards.

Right, libs? ;-)


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: coexist; frenemies; marymatalin; matalin; sleepingwiththeenemy; strangebedfellows; turncoat
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To: IChing
If you are working with a liberal employee then so be it. Only a fool would ever be friends with a liberal. Only a complete idiot would go into a partnership with one.

They might try to charm you but they are all a blood-sucking disease. Leftists are pure evil and should never be trusted with anything too important.
21 posted on 10/16/2013 1:28:15 PM PDT by Wanderer99
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To: IChing

I’m actually struggling with this right now. I live were the majority of people are crazy libs, so I have always had acquantances but not friends. I was fine with that. Then I started walking my dogs with a woman up the street and her dog. We had become friends and did not talk politics. I knew she was a lib and she knew I was a conservative.

Unfortunately, in the last week she has become insulting against Ted Cruz, the Tea Party and Conservatives in general. I have fought back. Last night was just too much for me when she started whining about how the republicans were going to make us default, along with the usual lib talking points.

I now wish I had stuck to my no lib friends rule. Today I have walked my dogs alone and gone up the hill away from her home so she will not see me. She has also not come by so maybe she has decided we shouldn’t be friends either. I am actually okay with this.

I believe I was right to beging with, you can be “friendly” with libs but you can’t be true friends. Libs are just to exhausting to my mental health.


22 posted on 10/16/2013 1:28:22 PM PDT by beandog (All Aboard the Choo Choo Train to Crazy Town)
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To: VanDeKoik
Seriously some of these people are more right-leaning than Reagan. Too bad they dont vote like that.

I've got a cousin like that. He's a great traditional husband and father solidly socially conservative and a hard left indoctrinated union organizer.

Those conflicting ideals are like matter and antimatter.
23 posted on 10/16/2013 1:28:30 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: IChing

My husband was a liberal, Clinton supporter when we married. That changed and now he is a wonderful, conservative man. I joke that I turned him to the dark side. All he really needed was another point of view, one he had never gotten his entire life.


24 posted on 10/16/2013 1:28:35 PM PDT by CityCenter
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To: IChing

I have many liberal friends and we never talk about politics....


25 posted on 10/16/2013 1:28:49 PM PDT by svcw (Socialism is so great, that it will be forced on you.)
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To: Son-Joshua

I was in Susanville and Shasta recently

Great folks

Seemed conservative

Am I wrong?


26 posted on 10/16/2013 1:29:11 PM PDT by wardaddy
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To: IChing
”Seriously, Don, you’re a megalomaniac. And I don’ t care to hear your flatulence rising from the right wing fever swamps. To quote you from yesterday, why don’t you go f*** yourself. I’m blocking you.”

There are two types who talk this way: deadbeats and leftists

They are all less than human and should be treated like the scum they are.
27 posted on 10/16/2013 1:30:00 PM PDT by Wanderer99
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To: Olog-hai

If that is the case, I have several “conservative” states that have some explaining to do.


28 posted on 10/16/2013 1:31:06 PM PDT by VanDeKoik
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To: IChing

you’re trying to mix oil and water.


29 posted on 10/16/2013 1:31:10 PM PDT by ealgeone (obama, border)
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To: freedom462
I probably face this dilemma more than anyone else on here. 99 % of my coworkers are rabid and outspoken Obama supporters. Political discussions devolve into how Democrats are brilliant and are working on ingenuous plans to save the economy and how Obama is so eloquent and Michelle Obama is so eloquent and inspirational and fashionable and intellectual and so awe inspiring. And how we need much more gov’t in all areas of our lives and anyone who disagrees must be a white male with too much privilege who has never had any real adversity in their lives or experienced how the other half lives. And if there is a major national disaster, no worries at all because Obama and the Democrats will be political superheroes who can rescue us all. Yeah, that is the cliffnotes of what political discussions where I work turn into.

What the hell kind of job is this?! Are you a journalist or something?!
30 posted on 10/16/2013 1:31:47 PM PDT by Wanderer99
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To: VanDeKoik

I have found that most of the liberals I have met are confirmed Users, as in people who use other people. I don’t much care for people who are permanently in search of servants.


31 posted on 10/16/2013 1:31:53 PM PDT by Coyote Choir
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To: fwdude

I tend to avoid Progressives in general. Family members that are Progressive Democrats don’t see me very much - I try to avoid contact. I don’t hid my Tea Party support and involvement.


32 posted on 10/16/2013 1:32:07 PM PDT by TNoldman (AN AMERICAN FOR A MUSLIM/BHO FREE AMERICA.)
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To: IChing

If you want to know what being married to a leftist woman would be like, imagine being locked in a small room with Pelosi.


33 posted on 10/16/2013 1:33:59 PM PDT by pallis
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To: VanDeKoik

Don’t expect a straight answer out of them. Ye shall know them by their fruits, after all.


34 posted on 10/16/2013 1:34:09 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Son-Joshua

Since liberalism is the political expression of Humanism, which is at its root the rejection of the Creator and His reality,

there really is no common ground.

In the beginning, God (and the need to be accountable to Him)
or
In the beginning, nothing (and no need to be accountable to anything except yourself)


35 posted on 10/16/2013 1:34:17 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: wardaddy

No, not at all. California is actually a Conservative state, but the liberal areas such as: San Francisco Bay Area (were I live), Hollywood, San Fernando Valley are liberal and get all the attention. They are also densely populated so control elections. However, Sacramento Valley (including Susanville), Tahoe, the Central Valley, Orange County, San Diego are all either somewhat or very Conservative. I have family who live in the Central Valley (farm country) and it’s a great to visit normal people.


36 posted on 10/16/2013 1:34:32 PM PDT by Son-Joshua (son-joshua)
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To: svcw

If you let your politics determine who you can be friends with, you are making a mistake in life. JMO


37 posted on 10/16/2013 1:34:37 PM PDT by jimbo807
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To: MrB

Indeed


38 posted on 10/16/2013 1:35:10 PM PDT by Son-Joshua (son-joshua)
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To: freedom462

I think I’d find another job if I were you. Hostile work environment, if not brain-dead.


39 posted on 10/16/2013 1:35:37 PM PDT by fwdude ( You cannot compromise with that which you must defeat.)
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To: wardaddy

Do any of them know how to fight? Do any of them believe in being able to kick ass and get things done on their own without men doing it for them? Do any of them compete or have competed in athletics at elite levels and therefore are in superior physical condition to the average women? Do any of them look like this: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://orangecoastcrossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/women-pic-4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://orangecoastcrossfit.com/crossfit-for-women/&h=333&w=500&sz=157&tbnid=sMuD6qBWjTQfQM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&zoom=1&usg=__3S5Q3JJShg6D_QJw1vD8wm8fY8s=&docid=VkTYDupt-h-fOM&sa=X&ei=lPheUp2yB-jE4AOh4oC4DA&ved=0CC8Q9QEwAg as opposed to being weak and powerless?


40 posted on 10/16/2013 1:35:38 PM PDT by freedom462
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