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? ;-)
My brother and my sister-in-law are libs. We try to avoid talking about politics, which is easy because they live in a lib city a hours and miles away. He’s very nice and could have a reasonable conversation, but she, like most liberals, is convinced that she knows what’s best for everybody else in the world, which means she could argue with a brick wall. I just avoid her.
I have some liberal neighbors who are the dearest, kindest, most generous family in the world. Their liberalism comes from their mainstream Protestant church and a naive view of the world. No trouble getting along with them at all. They’re horrified at our hunting/military/gunloving view of the world, but we just don’t talk about it. They hold their tongues when my son brings home a deer and butchers it in the garage (something that is NOT done in our neighborhood).
Snakeheads wife is a closet Democrat.
A phony.
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.
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My 77 year-old father is a staunch, liberal union Dem, and his opinions, in his mind, are facts. It’s gotten far worse with age and add to that his wife who is every bit as petty as he is.
I haven’t seen my father in a year but will drive down on the 25th on my way to a party to welcome home a Marine.
There hasn’t been a day gone by in which I haven’t played out what my visit will entail, from a constant stream of MSNBC (especially Ed Schultz), petty swipes at my conservatism, and last of all, how Reagan ruined this country.
What Dad doesn’t know is that I’ve reached my breaking point. My anxiety level is through the roof! If the man were not my father, I would not visit, period. That is how bad it is. My plan of action is to arrive late in the day, maybe early evening and leave his home if I feel attacked.
Liberals’ god is their belly. When their heroes can’t provide for them anymore, watch the trouble ensue.
then socialist. lets not get too hung up on the semantics.
What’s socialist?
I can agree with not marrying for the wrong reasons. But that is not inherent in women; that’s taught.
With Dad, it’s all fear based. He honestly believes Reagan nearly ruined this country, but he can’t articulate how. Dad was laid off from the Santa Fe Railroad for two weeks under Reagan and it was as if the world ended. That’s the only explanation I can come up with.
The other liberals in my life are a mix. The one common thread is they have no problem with: TAKING FROM OTHERS to fuel their causes.
A provider be it by marriage or government.
a good thing in marriage. And down and out slavery when government is involved
That example really sums up the incompatiblity issues. I learned a long time ago (from a hardcore leftist who let it slip) that tolerance means to put up with - for a time - lesser beings who disagree with them. See how loving they are? They offer a grace period. That woman was “tolerating” you.
Now after they decide their grace period has come to its end (when they recognize that their tactics aren’t effective), they fully justify “the end justifies the means”. That’s how they do and say all sorts of awful things to people, and how they sleep well at night. They give the unenlightened an amount of time to come to their senses, but if they won’t convert... anything goes.
They can’t just agree to disagree, they have a need to lash out at, punish and get even with those who will not conform to their worldview. We see ample evidence of this control freakorama - it oozes daily from the *Spite* Hut.
Obama reprepresents these people, because he is of the same character.
Relatives are particularly vexing when they pull their stunts, because even self-defense can be portayed as causing division in the family. Their definition of family is a warped assumption that family = people they can berate with impunity, because they’re “family”. They have plenty of enablers because often, other family members don’t want to rock the boat and PO the bully. Easier to blame the poor sap who doesn’t want to be victimized or passively teach his children that bullying is okay if it’s done by family.
It’s impossible to keep the peace and remain cordial with people who equate relationships with battlegrounds. How hard is it to take a simple walk with a neighbor, or get together for lunch, or have a family holiday dinner, without proseltyzing for Obama? (And it’s not limited to 0bots, either, but most of the other pushy types can take a polite hint and zip it without becoming hostile or vindictive.)
I have liberal parents.. and some how.. I manage..
A liberal wife? life is not long enough to mess with such foolishness.
You can’t pick your family. You can pick your wife.
NOT NO BUT HELL NO.
I don't say "stupid" or a "moron," because those are fighting words. But "fool" works.
Some of the smartest, best educated and cleverest presidents have been the biggest failures, and some of the presidents people expected had the least smarts worked out pretty well.
So you can't really go wrong thinking any particular president's a "fool" one way or the other.
I suppose politicians may not all be "crooks," but the nature of their job makes them ambitious publicity hounds who'll do what they can to get money or votes. It's not personal and the ones with more perspective may even agree.
Did he stay on until the merger with Burlington Northern?
I’ve always wondered about the RRB (railroad retirement benefits) program. Proponents claim it’s the only government-administered entitlement that’s solvent, but who knows. If you work for a railroad, you have RRB instead of Social Security.
Correcting myself: The “B” in RRB stands for “board” rather than “benefits”.
How could you be friends with a person who would vote for someone hellbent on destroying our great country?Get a clue for petes sake.
Dad retired before the merger. I’m not privy to his retirement package. He’s never offered to discuss it with me.
I don’t know what happened to him. He used to be conservative, hard worker, never taking a hand out. Then overnight things changed. I honestly think its partial dementia.
I won’t even pretend to like liberals.
I have no use for LIBs when they have ANY authority or power. Otherwise, they are pathetic and often good for a laugh.
I can’t stand Liberals and will not be a friend to any of the SOB’s!
Says a lot about your friend there. Sorry that happened to you.
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