All My so-called "friends" are GOP/Tea baggers

[Anonymous]

I have a close relative who identifies with the tea party. Because I think this person has many good qualities, I just decline to listen to any of the political crap in which he believes. That way, I can enjoy being in his company and not have to spend my time being sad that someone who is otherwise intelligent and rational believes such clearly ridiculous things.

I also have friends who are Republicans and not Tea Partiers. Not all conservatives are so extreme, and really, we aren't far apart (politically and personally) on many issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Did you see the unhinged wingnuts in Wisconsin calling for the death of the Governor?

Did you see the unhinged governor of Wisconsin callng for the death of 50 years of rights for the working class and middle class?

is this a parody post? I will assume you are being serious. What rights are being killed exactly? The civil service laws, some of the most generous in the country, are not affected. Unions are not being busted. All that has been done is correct one aspect of negotiations with public unions. Public unions negotiating with the elected leaders that they spend 90% of their funds to put in office is not an arm's length management-labor transaction. This is why federal workers cannot collectively bargain for wages and benefits, and why public unions in 26 states cannot either. Unfortunately we are $14T in debt on a federal level, and more trillions on a state level. Sorry if this reality upsets you.

Your post just sounds silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so I really don't hang out with them, don't even want to anymore, don't even want our kids playing together (not that they did much but we did do birthday parties and such together). I actually despise their narrow minded view points on the world. I can't believe I spent so much time with them in college and never bothered me. must have been all the booze. So now I feel like I have no friends.....sad but true.

This is wonderful news for your former friends because they need friends who are not so narrow- and close-minded. If you only want friends who agree with you then your world is small and limited. Grow up because it takes all kinds to make the world.

[Anonymous]

I think that ultimately, it comes down to what your interests and values are. I freely admit that most of the things that are considered "liberal" in this country are much more conservative than I am. Political opinion and personal politics are things that are important to me. As a result, most of my close friends are also progressives who are politically active. I worked for years as a community organizer in the midwest on labor issues, media issues, reproductive rights, domestic violence issues, humane society work, etc. So those things are important to me.

I recently defriended a couple of acquaintances on Facebook because the right wing hate speech they were posting day after day was just getting to me.

If you're not the sort of person who cares about politics, I can see why you'd have no problem having friends from across the political spectrum. If you do care about politics and you still have friends whose views are diametrically opposed to yours on things you care about, good for you. You're a much better person than I am. But I personally cannot be friends with someone who I know is racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. You can sit there and say, "Oh, but they have a really nice personality in other areas" but it's basically impossible for me to overlook the extreme Tea Party beliefs and focus on other, more trite aspects of people's personalities. If you're a racist, frankly, that's all you're going to be to me, even if you're a really nice person in other ways.

If that offends some of the right wingers on this thread, oh well. I'm done apologizing for the things I believe.

[Anonymous]

The civil service laws, some of the most generous in the country, are not affected. Unions are not being busted. All that has been done is correct one aspect of negotiations with public unions. Public unions negotiating with the elected leaders that they spend 90% of their funds to put in office is not an arm's length management-labor transaction. This is why federal workers cannot collectively bargain for wages and benefits, and why public unions in 26 states cannot either. Unfortunately we are $14T in debt on a federal level, and more trillions on a state level. Sorry if this reality upsets you.

You do know the first part of your post has NOTHING to do with the second part of your post, right? That one has nothing to do with another?

It is about as logical as if I said "You need to wear a purple shirt to work every day! Sorry you don't like it, but there was a tsunami in Japan."

[Anonymous]

yes, above-market wages and benefits to public workers has nothing to do with state deficits.

[Anonymous]

yes, above-market wages and benefits to public workers has nothing to do with state deficits.

Spoken like a true tea-partier!

[Anonymous]

feel sorry for you OP. I love all of my leftwing, nut job friends! Interesting to hear their fucked up views on the world.

[Anonymous]

Hey, you shouldn't talk with all that corporate cock in you mouth ... it's just bad manners!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that ultimately, it comes down to what your interests and values are. I freely admit that most of the things that are considered "liberal" in this country are much more conservative than I am. Political opinion and personal politics are things that are important to me. As a result, most of my close friends are also progressives who are politically active. I worked for years as a community organizer in the midwest on labor issues, media issues, reproductive rights, domestic violence issues, humane society work, etc. So those things are important to me.

I recently defriended a couple of acquaintances on Facebook because the right wing hate speech they were posting day after day was just getting to me.

If you're not the sort of person who cares about politics, I can see why you'd have no problem having friends from across the political spectrum. If you do care about politics and you still have friends whose views are diametrically opposed to yours on things you care about, good for you. You're a much better person than I am. But I personally cannot be friends with someone who I know is racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. You can sit there and say, "Oh, but they have a really nice personality in other areas" but it's basically impossible for me to overlook the extreme Tea Party beliefs and focus on other, more trite aspects of people's personalities. If you're a racist, frankly, that's all you're going to be to me, even if you're a really nice person in other ways.

If that offends some of the right wingers on this thread, oh well. I'm done apologizing for the things I believe.

NP and I totally agree. I can't be around people who think they're my friend yet describe my views as "fucked up" (for example), and I was raised to respect reasonable differences, not hate and racist/classist/xenophobic/homophobic scapegoating. Does this mean that I insult people I meet or spray paint "you're the new KKK" on their cars? Of course not. I just don't need to spend time or energy around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Did you see the unhinged wingnuts in Wisconsin calling for the death of the Governor?

Did you see the unhinged governor of Wisconsin callng for the death of 50 years of rights for the working class and middle class?

Now, now, you're going to make yourself all sweaty. The nurse will be in to fluff your pillows and give you some crushed ice very soon.

[Anonymous]

Are all of the liberal posters here who are unable to remain friends with republicans also unable, now, to continue to supporting President Obama? Sure looks like he's perpetuating some of the purportedly "right-wing-nut-job Republican" positions like keeping Guantanamo Bay open, holding detainees indefinitely, and on and on.

Or, perhaps, could we agree that politics are complicated and only the most rigid and small minded among us are determined to so viciously label others with different views...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey, you shouldn't talk with all that corporate cock in you mouth ... it's just bad manners!

And just like that the liberals all hung there heads in shame as fellow liberal Sven ruined the thread again with a vulgar socialist outburst. Damn you Sven and your libertine, dried fish eating culture!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so I really don't hang out with them, don't even want to anymore, don't even want our kids playing together (not that they did much but we did do birthday parties and such together). I actually despise their narrow minded view points on the world. I can't believe I spent so much time with them in college and never bothered me. must have been all the booze. So now I feel like I have no friends.....sad but true.

This is wonderful news for your former friends because they need friends who are not so narrow- and close-minded. If you only want friends who agree with you then your world is small and limited. Grow up because it takes all kinds to make the world.

except right wing conservatives. we don't need them to make the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are all of the liberal posters here who are unable to remain friends with republicans also unable, now, to continue to supporting President Obama? Sure looks like he's perpetuating some of the purportedly "right-wing-nut-job Republican" positions like keeping Guantanamo Bay open, holding detainees indefinitely, and on and on.

Or, perhaps, could we agree that politics are complicated and only the most rigid and small minded among us are determined to so viciously label others with different views...

Oh, stop it. We've all accepted that liberal = Nixon circa 1972. Stop your centrist baiting. The middle has shifted. The Teabaggers have, unfortunately, crammed the whole country to the right. Patience and common sense consensus building will morally re-align the dialogue. Obama is doing this.