I'm curious if any of you out there have experience in dating/being in a relationship with someone whose political views differ from yours?
For example, I am moderately liberal (NOT a bleeding heart, just slightly left of center). I identify myself as a Democrat, I loved Clinton and think Bush is a sissy whinnie who's alienating the country from the rest of the world. I'm for social programs and pro-choice. The guy I am dating is much more conservative, thinks Bush is a great guy and dispises Clinton, and is anti-social program anything.
Thinking long term here... Is this going to be a deal breaker?
__________________
...and I feel like I'm naked in front of a crowd,
'cause these words are my diary screaming out loud,
and I know that you'll use them however you want to...
My father is a democrat, mother is a republican - they have been married 43 years. Only saw things get bad one year when they both put political signs in the front yard. But they are reasonable people and realized that they both should remove their signs.
Good luck - I wish that was the issue I worried about!
It depends if the difference in political views is accompanied by a difference in values to the extent that you may have trouble reconciling issues like how much to give to charity or whether to support a pro-rights group with money. If you resent his NRA membership fees and he hates you workng for an anti-war cause, you'll be toast.
It depends on whether you 2 can disagree respectfully and not take it personally. If James Carvilla and Mary Matalin can make it work then politiocs don't have to get in the way. Besides his political views is everything else about him okay? I don't anybody has my political views so I would be alone if I on;y dated women who agreed with me. I end up getting into screaming matches with both liberal democrats and conservative republicans. I think the system is rotten to the core and partisan differences don't matter. Neither party truly has the interests of the american people at hurt. We should vote out all incumbents over teh next few elections so we can have a new government. Everybody in the house and senate needs to be fired and replaced. They have ruined things too much.
I guess I can't see political views as being too problematic for a relationship, provided you're not both at extreme opposite ends of the spectrum. My folks differ a fair amount and just celebrated 37 extremely wonderful years together. Lot's of other things are certainly more important than politics when it comes to making two people compatible. I met a woman once that I had tons in common with, lots of attraction on both sides, etc. but a certain religous belief ended any chance of a future as soon as it came up. She was very closed-minded on the matter and I could tell that not only would she not respect my position, she also wouldn't respect what I do for a living.
It's not your opposing views that will get in the way (not directly, anyway). It depends on each of your abilities to be accepting and respectful of the other's opinions.
__________________ I like my coffee like I like my truth: Black. Or white.
If someone was an avid Bush fan, I think I wouldn't be able to date him, no matter how nice he was. It's maybe less the opposing political direction that would separate us, but a whole set of different attitudes, beliefs, experiences, interests that would make a harmonic relationship very unlikely.
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