Why can't lefties be friends with Trump supporters? (abortion, school, vote)

[tlarnla]

I have friends and relatives that voted for Trump. I disagree with them, but don't hate them for it.

That being said, the OP is talking about a romantic relationship. I would never start dating a man who had strongly different political views from me. You really should date somebody you have more in common with. Imagine if you fell in love and got married, and then have to sleep with each other at election season? That just sounds like a recipe for disaster.

[Roscoe Conkling]

Similar thing here in Blighty.
Vitriol and abuse from Brexit Remainers on Twitter.
Labour MPs in Parliament can't bring themselves to talk to their Conservative colleagues such is their ideological hatred.
People so convulsed by bitterness over losing both Brexit and a general election they pray their country is punished by the EU and fails in the future just so they can say I told you so.
Antifa thugs showing total illiberal anger and violence at anyone with opposing views to theirs.
Whereas most ordinary folk who are probably quietly conservative with a dose of liberal commonsense thrown in just shrug their shoulders and smile at these buffoons beating themselves up.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by tipsyguam

The irony is rich in this one. Call me whatever makes you feel better about yourself, you cant take my happy with your negativity.


Ive been called all the -isms and -phobes.. so what? I have to respect you before Ill respect your opinion.
I supported the last President despite not liking some of his policies(mostly the ACA lie) and I support this one because of the great economy/low unemployment/other things along with the favorable position our great country is in due to him and all around optimism. That's part of what it takes to be a true patriot of America. The glass is half full, not half empty.









Yes, exactly this. I can disagree with peoples politics and still go on with daily life, why cant they do the same? Yes, the "not all" defense is appropriate here for each side.

No, it isn't.

True patriots care about having a President who exhibits character.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by tlarnla

I have friends and relatives that voted for Trump. I disagree with them, but don't hate them for it.

That being said, the OP is talking about a romantic relationship. I would never start dating a man who had strongly different political views from me. You really should date somebody you have more in common with. Imagine if you fell in love and got married, and then have to sleep with each other at election season? That just sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Reread the OP. She's talking about both romantic relationships and regular friendships.

[tlarnla]

BTW, I live in a pretty conservative town, so it's usually the conservatives rejecting liberals, not the other way around.



I have not unfriended any of my Trump-voting friends or relatives, but my best friend and her husband did unfriend me. About a year later she started acting friendly again, and said she still likes me, but doesn't like me making fun of the greedy idiot Trump. I forgave her, but explained that we have the right to our own political views, and freedom of speech. So we're friends again.



On the other hand, my little girl isn't so lucky. I have told her not to talk politics with friends, unless she knows for sure that they're liberals too. The other liberal parents I know are the same way. But the liberal-haters sniff us out anyway.


Once when she was playing with a friend down the street, the girl's mother and grandma invited me in for a chat, and started asking me questions about my socio-political beliefs. That was pretty uncomfortable. I try to avoid discussing that stuff with the neighbors, especially my daughter's friends. But they wanted to interview me. I tried to avoid saying anything controversial, but I don't lie. After that, they wouldn't let their daughter play with my daughter any more.



On top of that, another girl that my daughter used to play with was banned from playing with her anymore, and her mom was the Girl Scout Leader. Around the 2016 election, she had the girls do a mock election, and got them to say who they would each vote for if they could. She banned from letting her girl play at our house after that, and said they could only play together during Girl Scout meetings. Another liberal mom in the troop pointed out that they got the same cold treatment after that mock vote, so they quit the troop. I asked my daughter if she wanted to quit, but she wanted to stay in because she was friends with those girls. But the troop leader started giving us the snub, and then one day kicked her out without a reason.



That's what Trump supporters are like around here. They don't let their kids play with the children of liberals.

[GotHereQuickAsICould]

I've seen this happen with religion

"What church do you go to?" was our introduction to the South.

It was the first question we were asked by our neighbors when we moved to NC, and continues to be a conversation starter.

[Hesychios]

Why can't lefties be friends with Trump supporters?

You can help the situation by stop calling them 'lefties'. Anyway, they probably don't need your friendship, nor you theirs.

[Grlzrl]

Originally Posted by moneill

I am friends with folks that support Trump.

I've seen people on both sides dump people. Often it is less about the differing views and more in how folks talk/treat others with differing views.

Originally Posted by EddieB.Good

Mostly bc you're a collective of thinly veiled racists who justify behavior that you hamstrung the previous president for just so you could put someone wholly unqualified for the job into office ONLY bc he was slightly less thinly veiled about his racism.

Originally Posted by tinytrump

I work with a lot of republicans. Some ready for MrT to get off the throne - others say little - then there are the trumpettes - every thing is “hugely” with an exclamation point. He this did this or that - roar applause !!! Most of us see them as plain crazy. I don’t trust them - stay professional and move on. I act on my relationship with my peeps and as long as not racist or over the top trumpettes- we have a great time and get along. We do discuss hot subjects like the fence or kids being locked up - but never mention the potus name .

Originally Posted by Crazee Cat Lady

I live in a red state and was a republican for over 40 years myself. I don't care what politics my friends have.
In real life I would have to be friends with you and know you really well,
before I even knew what your feeling are on the subject.
My Granny always said "Never discuss Politics or Religion' because it can lead to trouble . I follow her advice.







Well said. Exactly how I feel.






Real friends don't ditch friends because they have a difference of opinion.
If someone ditches you because of your Political inclinations they were never your friend to begin with.

Originally Posted by RollsRoyce1

I can only go off of my own experience.
I had 2 friends that I'd been really close with for 15 years. A couple. At one time the wife was even trying to get me to leave my wife so I could marry their niece. (She said she was kidding, but I always thought she would have been happy if I had)
They moved to California and we didn't see each other often, but kept in touch on Facebook.
A few years ago they began posting on social media some of the typical drivel of the spoon-fed masses, like "Liberalism is a Mental Health Issue" and "Get Obama out and an American in" Stupidity like that (those were the two ones that I remembered)
Now, I don't consider myself a liberal (especially by today's standards) but I'm definitely left of center, but I just kind of rolled my eyes and moved on.
Occasionally we'd have nice conversations online that never breached the subject of politics.

Then one day I posted a joke about Trump. Not even a harsh one. It was pretty basic. There was a story going around that his administration was considering having the children of immigrants that were born in the US deported. So I simply posted "Maybe this is just way of finally getting rid of Eric" Not saying it's a hilarious joke, but certainly nothing that someone should melt over (unless they are a typical right wing snowflake). And shortly after that I discovered that my 2 friends had not only deleted me as friends but had blocked me as well.
I called a few times and left voicemails, no response. However, they are still in communication with several mutual friends and apparently refer to me as "a *******"


Now that's the extreme. I also have several friends and family members on both "sides" of the aisle.
But I'm just saying to OP's original point, I can say that of all of the friends who have unfriended me over politics, 100% of them have been on the right.

Originally Posted by odanny

I've given up on two people who are huge Trump supporters, and even though I've known both for 20 some years, I always overlooked things about the both of them that I didn't agree with. One claims he is a disabled combat vet, and I have long believed he is lying, but I let him have his way and never challenged him. As he has aged he has only lied more, kinda like a mini-Trump, and he has become more bellicose, belligerent, and generally the kind of person I no longer want to be around. So I stopped talking to this person 2 years ago, and feel so much better for doing so. I guess Trump kinda pushed the issue, and I can be grateful he did, as ones true colors really can show.

The other I still talk to every now and then, he is the kinda guy who never once followed politics until Trump was elected, now he likes to regurgitate Fox News talking points, and listening to his puerile explanations of why Trump is a good President just kinda makes me feel sad that so many other people think like he does, without having any historical foundation on which to examine Trump and see what an incredible douche and pathological liar the man is, nor even know what government has been like in the past.

I have other friends who support Trump, but we're cool, still talk, but not politics. I respect their decision to believe in a pathological liar if they want to, and realize not everyone believes the same things. I rarely discuss politics anymore, even with like minded people. I find the topic to be fairly depressing and would rather discuss something else.

Originally Posted by godofthunder9010

I don't know anyone who has kicked any friend to the curb because they don't like Trump. I know a lot of people who have kicked friends to the curb for being Trump supporters.

I'm very curious. Does anyone know of anyone who is a huge Trump fan who stopped being friends with someone because they're a Trump hater? I expect that they exist. I just don't know of any examples.

As somebody who is fairly neutral on the matter, I find this imbalance makes your average Trump haters look like a bunch of shallow a-holes. Honestly I'd love to be persuaded to have a more balanced view here.

Originally Posted by TwoByFour

For me, beings friends with someone who has very different beliefs has nothing to do with what they believe, it is whether they use that belief as a cudgel to beat others over the head with. The belief can be religious or moral or global warming or anything. All I ask is that any conversations be rational and not rants, although I generally avoid religion and politics with many people.

Originally Posted by jburress

Sounds like you surround yourself with a snowflake class of people (otherwise known as trumplings).

Originally Posted by natalie469

My family includes both republicans and democrats. There was never an issue with it because it just wasn't a topic of conservation. But I have never seen this kind of division in our country. This is not who we are but this is what sadly what we have become. I find it extremely scary. Trump has brought out the worst in people for his own benefit....divide and conquer.

Originally Posted by SunGrins

Why can't lefties be friends with Trump supporters?

The problem arises when the topic of Trump comes up and it usually does at some point. The conversations deteriorate because of the paucity of any valid and truthful claims or arguments from Trump supporters that haven't been filtered through his tweets, Fox News, debunked conspiracy theories, or clowns like Alex Jones. If you round up a half dozen Trumpers and ask why they support Trump you get a half dozen reasons and none of them are based on fact. Their total lack of understanding of how basic government works is astonishing. The notion of checks and balances eludes them (as it does the President). There can be rational discussions or debates of immigration policy or climate change in some cases but once Trump becomes part of the conversation it gets into a desperate effort to parrot and defend his pointless blithering and divisive claims. Non-Trumpers are amazed at the total lack of knowledge, critical thinking, or independent judgment on the part of Trumpers. That is usually the beginning of the end. We wonder if these people were always this stupid or if this is some sort of debilitating side effect coming from Fox News and talk radio.

There is increasing evidence that Russian interference goes way beyond the election tampering and is largely engaged in sowing divisiveness in American society and exploiting existing religious, racial, ethnic, and gender faultlines way beyond the political arena. Trump is unwittingly playing directly into the hands of the Russians by energizing hate groups and fringe activists on both sides.

Originally Posted by G Grasshopper

It is possible for people on either side of the divide to be civil, and to avoid the topic. But in any kind of a close or intimate relationship, I would thing that the difference in the world view would be too much to ignore. In addition, there are grave moral issues here. For example, I would never be able to trust the moral integrity of anyone who argues that putting kids in cages is right, not to mention that women should not be able to make reproductive choices, or that it is OK for industry to pollute neighborhoods, or any number of other issues that really are about morality, not just politics.

Originally Posted by FatBob96

This exactly.

Originally Posted by Joe the Photog

I lean left and live in South Carolina. You don't think a lot of my friends are Trump supporting Republicans? Haha. Maybe the OP listens to the small portion of news stories where people on both sides do and say stupid things? Maybe he thinks C-D is a slice of real life? Maybe he takes politics a little too seriously. Or maybe he's one of those that can't be friends with someone on the opposite side of the political spectrum. Most of us can and always have

Originally Posted by Malloric

So what you're telling us is you're a Trump supporter and don't have any lefty friends. Is it more likely the problem is all the potential friends you don't have because they are lefties or you?

I do have lefty friends but they tend to be people who don't really follow politics. The hardcore leftists are the ones who think they are holier than thou. The above replies prove my point. Sad.

[Grlzrl]

I stopped reading at page 11. I have never seen such hate. It's by the left. The stories about the MAGA hat wearing people in the bar and the person with the crutches....? I don't believe them for a minute. Those are just typical of the lies lefties make up to support their agenda.

I feel sorry for you lefties. When Obama was President, we never acted like this. Your hate has won you over.

[ipaper]

Originally Posted by Grlzrl

I stopped reading at page 11. I have never seen such hate. It's by the left. The stories about the MAGA hat wearing people in the bar and the person with the crutches....? I don't believe them for a minute. Those are just typical of the lies lefties make up to support their agenda.

I feel sorry for you lefties. When Obama was President, we never acted like this. Your hate has won you over.

Now I'm not taking you and this thread serious anymore. You have just a much hateful people on the right, and I'm sure you know that. The right is not made up of all angels and saints, neither is the left. All you have to do is google and or go to youtube. I live in the deep south in a red state and as a middle age black man, you can't tell me about hate. I have experience it up close and personal.