Politics and family lines

I won’t talk politics with anyone. I don't like discussing things like this. Just to say, I vote the total opposite of my parents. It’s just better if we don’t talk about it. It ends up with either hurt feelings or anger. My husband, both my boys, their wives and I do agree and we can talk amongst ourselves, but I generally don’t like to make “small” talk about it. Nobody is right or wrong, it’s a matter of opinion and everyone thinks they can just magically change someone else’s mind. I’d prefer not to.

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My vote is almost always opposite my parents, though they are good about keeping independent, refusing to declare a party and instead "voting on the issues". I'm just a far left leaning Democrat. I'd be Green, but there's no point in throwing away my vote. Especially since I am married to a hard core Republican, as conservative as they come. That's a more interesting conundrum in my opinion. Surviving election time when the mere mention of politics in your home brings on full volume debates and days of refusing to speak to your partner. Fun times...

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I was raised a staunch republican. It is true. I even pulled that straight ticket before. I am ashamed of doing that - of not figuring out what people stood for. For not taking our right to vote seriously. Now I don't think that we live in the world of rainbows and unicorns. I realize that we are voting really for a party and not a person...that the person only has so much influence, but still - the ideal is there - the dream still remains right?

Obama has my heart. I love the idea of someone so courageous and strong. So interesting and different...and yet, I don't see any correlation to anything I would have chosen even a few years ago. Isn't that odd?

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My parents are from outer space, so we don't really discuss anything too in depth.

But between Obama and Hillary, I would just love it if the winner would pick the other as their running mate. That would be awesome.

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i'm mostly conservative and my wife is mostly liberal. we've got some overlap on certain issues. other than that, we can get into some pretty heated debates (which i usually instigate just to push her buttons) about other issues.

but, we've never actually gotten mad at each other because of differing views. we just agree to disagree.

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Probably not gunna happen queenoqueens... there's an awful lot of hostility there. I suspect Edwards will be the vp candidate in spite of him saying he won't go that road again.

I'm voting Obama, I think my mom's voting Clinton and my dad is anyone's guess. In November I'll vote for whichever one wins the Democratic ticket, but Obama's the first candidate that's ever gotten me excited.

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It is rare that my parents and I agree, even though we claim the same political party...strange huh? We almost always oppose one another's choice in a candidate. Even worse is the fact that my husband and I are at total opposite ends of the spectrum politically. There are issues we agree upon, but it's pretty rare. Mostly we get along just fine unless it's an issue we differ completely on and one or the other feels very strongly about. In which case it has been known to get heated. In the end we always come to an understanding and can at least understand the other's view. Our daughter is only 2 years old, but we have agreed to try to not influence her one way or they other. I have a feeling this is going to be tricky, but we would like her to be free thinking. I guess we'll figure out how exactly to tackle her questions on politics as time goes on...just like anything else.

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I have very siimilar values to my parents and to my husband. He, however, would not dream of discussing politics near his parents, as they have very, very different views.

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My political leanings are completely opposite from my parents and 5 of my 6 siblings. My younger sister and I are fairly liberal (I voted Clinton), while the rest of my family are almost ready to disown us for our liberal thoughts. I can't talk politics with my mother because we both feel passionately about different things. My husband is a bit more conservative than I am and we enjoy our have spirited political discussions. I hope my kids follow in my liberal footsteps, but I hope they do so because they are informed.

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I enjoy talking politics with family and friends.

My parents and I sometimes line up, and sometimes not. This time both my parents voted for Obama, and I voted for Ron Paul.

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My mom is a libertarian (fiscally conservative but socially liberal). I am a staunch conservative federalist (who is registered as a Republican because of our broken party system). We have more in common than most would think, primarily because we both believe in personal responsibility.

Of course, she voted in the primary for the anti-christ, and I'm going to vote for someone who's already dropped out, but hey, she taught me to vote my principles. In November, I'm also writing in my choice... I'm deciding whether it will be my primary choice or Zombie Reagan! : )

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Argh! Nothing gets me as riled up as talking politics with my parents. I don't usually talk politics with anyone and my parents love to try to impose their conservative views.

It's funny...I don't remember them being that conservative while I was growing up and I'm REALLY hoping that it doesn't come with age. Perhaps my memories are flawed.

My husband and I have similar political views.

I just hope whatever my kids believe in they believe in it is wholeheartedly on their own. I just hope they don't become overly pushy people. :)

I do however have both friends and coworkers that STILL follow their parents beliefs which drives me crazy! My coworker told me she'd love to switch to an independent party, but her father wouldn't let switch from republican. (She's 40 years old and married with two kids! What does it matter what her dad says?)

I just find it absolutely amazing...really..that there is something unique in people that makes them believe and feel different things and yet makes certain people think similarly. Why is that? As humans why don't we all just think the same way about every issue?

http://furoreandfrenzy.blogspot.com

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Oh, I love to talk politics....even if the other person and I disagree, as long as you can keep it respectful I just find it fascinating to know what issues matter most to people. It is very telling about their character.

That said, I'm a bleeding heart Liberal, my sisters vote Democrat but are more conservative than I am, and my brother and mom are staunch Republicans. My mom regularly sends me "jokes" that are straight out of Rush Limbough's mouth, which makes me want to SCREAM, but I just hit 'delete' with a wicked little cackle. But really, we love and respect each other....even if they are wrong. ; )

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My parents and I have similar political views, we tend to vote the same a lot of the time. However, my in-laws are on the other end of the spectrum.

I got into a huge argument - er, "debate" - with my father-in-law this weekend over the election despite the fact that we are Canadian so clearly won't even be voting in it. My husband and I have similar political views for the most part - which to the ILs means I've dragged him over to the "dark side". ;)

Carolyn
http://www.momsontheedge.typepad.com

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My family is hugely into the GOP. My grandfather served as a State Senator for a couple of decades - staunchly republican - and my father has run campaigns for local GOP candidates and has always voted a straight ticket. My mother's family is very Democrat-loyal and she kind of jumped the fence when she married. I'm an independent, with mostly very liberal and sometimes libertarian views and therefore the black sheep of the family.
While I love to discuss politics with most people (basing the discussion on respect for each other's views) I CANNOT talk politics with my fam. It's never pretty when we do.

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As a US military wife, the subject of politics is important--but I honestly, could care less about how my family votes-freedom of choice is just that. We have the same basic values, live the same way, but it just doesn't come up. We are usually to involved with the children to bring it up-subject matter not for little ears is not allowed at family gatherings and we never exclude the kids from anything.

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I love discussing politics wiht people that agree ot disagree. I don't understand why people are often so afraid to be open about their political preference.
I don't have one party I always vote for, everytime elections come around I read the programs and make an informed choice.

My parents always vote for the same party, they have for 30 years. I am on the same side of the spectrum as they are but I don't believe in voting for the same party always just because.

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My family generally lines up on principles, but may not totally agree on the candidates. Usually this is more due to receiving / believing different information than having different basic views. There have been times when my mom and I agreed not to vote in a primary where we would have canceled each other's vote anyway.

To the extent anyone is around who doesn't agree with my parents' point of view, that is their problem. My mom lets loose in colorful language on whoever she's hating today. My dad and I are usually a little more diplomatic, knowing someone in the extended family might not take kindly to a series of one-sided comments (few have the audacity to disagree with my mom when she's on a roll). I know my brother's wife is on the other end of the spectrum and once, early in their marriage, she was in tears during one of the political discussions, but now she wisely ignores them. I am not sure how it is at her house where she and my brother strongly disagree, but they apparently manage to get past it. And at my house, one of the other adults who live here loves politics, has it on the TV all night every night, and happily repeats whatever drivel she hears as if it were a scientifically proven fact. "What do you think about that?" Then if I politely point out that you can't believe everything a politician says in a campaign speech, she gets on my case about being closed minded. Whatever. I don't really care that much about politics. I have my principles, and I will discuss those, and I will research politicians' records on the issues and vote accordingly, and everyone else is free to do the same. It does bother me when someone casts a vote based on something other than principles, but that is part of the democratic process.

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I vote democrat like my parents but my husband is a republican so I always tell people that I vote to cancel out my husband's vote.

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My grandfather likes to e-mail things out to everyone on his contact list giving specific examples of things Hillary Clinton has done that she shouldn't have (in his opinion).

It happens often enough that I wrote an open letter and sent it to everyone on my list, asking them not to force their opinions on me.

My dad and grandfather have similar views, and mine are completely opposite... Religion, politics... right down to Mac vs. PC, we can't discuss it.

And no, I'm not a Democrat, but they're both Republicans.

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