I don’t like politics much any more. When I was younger, I did. But as the political climate changed, so much hatred developed between those with opposing political views. I can’t remember the last time I had a discussion about politics and it didn’t result in shouting, cursing, name calling or a lost friendship.
Just last night, while on the way to dinner, the lovely lady in the passenger seat said, “who do you want to be our next President.”
Knowing this wasn’t going to end well, I picked someone that I felt she would agree with.
“Hillary Clinton.”
God fordbid I should mention a Republican or I’d probably have to turn the car around and abandon dinner plans!
To be honest, I don’t know who I would want to be the next POTUS, I just wanted to move on to another subject. But, wanting to see just how far I would go before having to pop a Xanax, she said, “you’d like Rush Limbaugh to be President.”
For the next 2.7 miles we argued about why I don’t like our current Commander in Chief and why she loves him. We both laughed at why people think Reagan was a good leader when we all know Nancy was in charge. We speculated why Jeb Bush, who was good as a govenour, doesn’t want anything to do with running for prez and threw in the name of Joe Biden just for good measure (and a laugh).
When the political nit-picking was over, I looked for the button that turns the magic fingers on, because my back was suddenly tenser than a Palm Beacher’s face after a lift.
I thought about how this one subject – politics – can polarize individuals in such a way that it’s almost mind-blowing. Take a look at your Facebook wall and see some of the political stuff your friends post then look at the comments below. There’s no civility. There’s just name calling.
It’s gotten to the point that on a sunny day, your Republican friend will say the sky is blue and your Democratic friend will say it’s gray, and the Independent will say it’s dusky pink. The three will stand and argue over it, walk away, then never speak to each other again.
I tend to refrain from political discussions. If I’m in the company of others and it comes up, I politely ask if the subject can be changed. Same goes for religion. I was brainwashed into believing that selling enough magazines and candy bars in Catholic school was the key to getting into heaven. I’m smarter than that now and learned that god is really J.P. Morgan Chase and heaven is a well balanced 401k.
Growing up I was taught to respect the office of the President, regardless of who’s in office. I’m wondering at what point in history it became acceptable not to. Unfortunately, rather than take part in discussions of political nature, I tend to invoke that trite phrase “why can’t we all just get along.”