Do you find that most of your social circle is from the same political party?

[Anonymous]

I think fb makes it harder for people on opposite sides to be friends. Most of us refrain from making political comments in person, but we'll post them on our fb page. When I see some of the extremism, it's hard for me to think of a person the same way I did before. I have friends who changed their picture to an upside down flag today and are quoting Nikiti Kruschev. It's rather.... repugnant.

[Anonymous]

Actually. I have a lot of liberal friends (who of course have no clue how to survive if even the electricity goes out) that I will try to save if their is ever a society breakdown. They are very weak and naive , but are nice.

[Anonymous]

I lean right, DH leans left and our friends seem to be generally equally split. My two best friends are complete opposites, one is a very conservative Republican Christian and the other is a very liberal, West Coast liberal and I can't imagine my life without either one.

I find that our general values, commitment to our marriages, challenges with child-rearing or careers, and our hobbies or other shared interests are what make us close. Whether a friend is pro-choice when I am pro-life or one who believes in literal Creationism when I have a more balanced view of Creation/evolution, really has no bearing on our day to day lives together as friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in DC, and I think all my neighborhood friends voted Obama. I know one who was planning to vote for Romney because he so strongly opposes gay marriage for religious reasons, but in the end he got so turned off by other things about Romney that even he voted Obama.

However, we have a weekend place in another state, and although the neighbors are all from the Baltimore-Washington area, some of them are pretty conservative (gun-toting Obama haters included). Nevertheless, they are really nice people, and we are all very friendly.

I think it is well within the capacity of most of us to say "You have some pretty weird opinions, but you're fun to hang out with." For some reason that attitude has mostly gone out of fashion; too bad.

I dunno, PP. I don't know anybody who would be gun-toting and fun to hang out with. It's just that my kind of fun doesn't mesh with theirs.

[Anonymous]

Grew up in a super conservative life, spent yers working in a very moderate environment then went into academia. So I ahve a real mix of left wing, center and right wing friends

The farther right and left they are actually sound pretty much exactly the same, just about different issues. Lots of intolerance, name calling, disrespect on both sides. really you just replace the 'key word' and it is all the same. Each side believes they are right and the otehr side is wrong and 'open-minededness' extends only to those who agree with them. Both sides would deny, deny, deny this, but having spent so many years with far right (upbringing) and academia (far left) but they are far more similar than they realize.

I prefer to hang you with those who are moderate /centrist in their beliefs/values or with people who are able to be respectful and tolerant of those who hold very different views (there are a few friends I have like this from both sides).

[Anonymous]

Yes. Dem.

[Anonymous]

I lean right, DH leans left - our family is spilt down the middle with most being far left or right. I have both D & R friends but almost all of DH's friend are D.

[Anonymous]

I do not fraternize or socialize with conservative people. I find it repugnant to be homophobic, racist, anti-immigrant, anti-poor and all of those other things republicans and conservatives are.