There’s a peculiar correlation between all-in affiliation with Donald Trump and “the most Catholic” types, including the Latin Mass people. Maybe it’s a “bubble” phenomenon or a sense of being an embattled elite remnant.
I have a different perspective, between life with the Spanish congregation and being in a parish that was founded on “social justice” principles. I know a lot of friends in the homeless mission and the environment committee are Democrats, and I don’t care.
My life hasn’t featured all the ups and downs yours has - or at least not with the amplitude of your variations ;-), but I have arrived at a place where what matters about people is, “Are they involved in something I care about?” “Are they trustworthy?” and “Are they nice to me?” Don’t bother me with anything else.
There are very few Democrats in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mostly because a lot of the principles of the church are diametrically opposed to what the Democrats believe. Catholics, I think, (at least from what I recall from the few years I belonged) are more like LDS members — no abortion, no same-sex marriage, etc.
The Democrat party has changed massively from what it was when Kennedy was elected. And those changes have not been good ones. I’ve probably been friends with Democrats/Liberals, but not in recent history because of my big mouth. I don’t know how to keep it shut.
My life has had very few boring moments. Calm, yes, boring, no. But it was a life of contradictions, too. The Yin/Yang effect. Lots of things I regret in retrospect, but most were not of my doing. I endured them rather than instigated or took part.
I’ve made friends and drifted away from them because either I changed or they did. These days, I’m concerned with whether or not they can put up with the idiosyncrasies of CFIDS and my faltering explanations for why I act the way I do, often without being aware of what I say or do until later.
So my criteria is simplified: “Can you tolerate me? Better yet, can you tolerate me on my bad days? If not, then you’re not helping so go away.”