Could be good friends with a staunch tea party supporter?

[Dwayne Hicks]

Or are you? For me it would depend on if we were friends for 20 or so. But I don't think I would have interest in becoming friends with a tea party person now. Basically any friends are grandfathered in lol.

[sharp_stick]

1. I can be friends with conservatives

as long as we don't start up with politics.

Teabaggers however generally can't shut the hell up about how much they hate Obama and everything that he's personally done to fuck up their freedums and I can't stand being around that kind of stupid for very long.

[BlueCaliDem]

11. Me, too. No politics. No religion. We're good. eom

[yeoman6987]

27. I could......Religion and Politics are off limit

Otherwise there is plenty to talk about.

[tblue37]

2. No. I avoid all conversations with them. Since I know they cannot be convinced,

there is no point in wasting my time. And since the sort of values that would lead one to the Tea Party are the exact opposite of what I believe in, I would not consider a devoted Tea Partier to be good "friend" material. If the person had been mistakenly drawn to the Tea Party in its early stages only because it looked like a grassroots counter to government abuses and crony capitalism, that person would have changed his allegiance as soon as its racist, right wing character was exposed, which happened pretty early on.

Those who stay devoted to the Tea Party after all that has been revealed about them are FOX News fans who support everything that I consider wrong about our society, so they are not the sort of people I want to interact with.

[atreides1]

3. No

I am opposed to everything that they stand for...and while I won't instigate a confrontation, I won't back down if it's pushed on me!


In my view they're the enemy...and my attitude is that the enemy is to be rendered ineffective, or destroyed completely if necessary!

[Matrosov]

4. No friendship with the enemy

I could never be friends with a person I know is doing their part in trying to pull this country back into the Middle Ages while the rest of the industrialized world continues to progress forward.

[conservaphobe]

5. Hell no. nt

[Squinch]

6. No. You can't avoid politics with them because they are rabid and self-righteous and can't

help themselves from spewing. And then you have to smack them down. Which makes for an awkward social interaction.

[GoCubsGo]

16. Yep.

They'll always manage to make some snide, politically-oriented comment or dig at President Obama, minorities, women, or anyone else they hate, even when discussing the most unrelated subjects. As you said, they can't help themselves. And, when you call them out, they whine that they're being persecuted, and that their freedom of speech is being denied by us nasty, horrible liberals. Not a one of them worth the effort it takes to interact with them.

[Squinch]

22. I see you have met my tea-bagging relative. Any time with them is like a visit to a mine field.

[GoCubsGo]

24. I have two of them.

My brother and uncle. Although, I'm never sure how bad my brother is. Sometimes he says things he doesn't necessarily believe just to stir up shit.

[Squinch]

25. Mine is the spouse of a beloved sibling, so it's doubly difficult. I have to be civil so as not

to upset the sibling, but I have to force myself not to roll my eyes at everything the spouse says. Or rise to any of the bait, which is constant and obnoxious.

[GoCubsGo]

29. I rarely see either of my relatives.

They both live 1000 miles or more away. Haven't spoken to my uncle since Bill Clinton was in office. He went to visit my mom (his sister) right before she died, and my sisters did nothing but complain to me about how batcrap crazy he is. They couldn't send him on his way fast enough. My brother went there a few weeks later. Every time he tried to stir up trouble, at least in the mornings, my sister shut him up by turning on the Stephanie Miller Show on Free Speech TV. I don't know if he actually paid attention to her. One can only hope.

[OneGrassRoot]

7. I just came to a conclusion about this the other day...

I've gone round and round within myself about this for decades. Granted, when I now hear "Tea Party" I absolutely equate that with bigotry and racist views. So, with that in mind, here is what I recently shared with a friend on this topic:


I just had a simple yet profound aha moment, regarding my inner conflict about how to interact/have a relationship (or not) with people I perceive as being very destructive and harmful in their bigoted and/or racist views or any other harmful, ugly behavior. It's hard for me because I do feel silence is consent...so my choice is usually between keep my mouth shut or stay away from the person. Since I can't keep my mouth shut, the latter is my default.

In many, many cases, people I know who hold fairly significant bigoted views are otherwise outwardly kind, and are genuinely kind to family and friends. I know they're not awful people, but they hold views which are awful and which cause a lot of pain. If they act on those views, that's taken to another level; I don't think I could be friends with such people, not unless they're willing to change that behavior.

I believe these views cause them pain, even if they aren't aware of it, and most people don't truly want to cause others pain.

I'm going to try to focus on the good...on what makes them beautiful...and continue to try to point out how their fear and hatred is harmful, to everyone. I believe...I hope...that most people don't want to cling to views and behavior which cause pain and harm.

For those who revel in these views and behavior and have no desire to change or see how harmful it is and are intent to spread it, they're the ones I'll maintain my distance from. They are the ones who are toxic. And I'll continue to speak out against their words and behavior. I can't be friends with those who have been confronted with the ugliness and thrive on it (both the confrontation and the ugliness).

[Iggo]

8. No. Those people are idiots.

[brewens]

9. My girlfriend is one. We were together pre-teabaggery. What kills me is the first mention of it

Freedomworks. Something she saw from those clowns. Immediately I get online and did a little research and saw Dick "Dick" Armey was their chairman! I went back and gave her some crap about how, believing what she believes and what she says the Tea Party is all about, no freakin' way she could believe Freedomworks was legit with that asshat in charge!

I usually stay away from arguments about politics with her but had to give her some crap, and not just a little bit either, when "Dick" shook them down and walked off with the seven million or whatever he got out of them. Just WTF did he do to earn that kind of dough from Tea Party supporters? She really couldn't answer that. The old "fool and his money" thing applies there.

In all fairness I think she got hooked that first couple of weeks of Tea Party when even I could see some worth there. At that time you'd have thought they could easily have ended up staging a major protest on Wall Street over the bailouts. I really think that's why the big boys in the Republican party and Kochs jumped all over it and coopted the "movement". Too many don't realize or won't admit they do, what went on there.

[hollowdweller]

10. I'm into farming and shooting and hunting

So I know a lot of tea party or semi tea party types.

I can be friends with them. Just don't talk politics.

The weird thing to me is that at least with a lot of them, they really hate the gov't but then when they get sick, or have some problem they need the law or some arm of the gov't to help them with they suddenly want gov't to intervene. I sympathize with a straight face and never let on how ironic it is.

[Cosmocat]

12. tea party is a different breed

GENERALLY speaking, usually younger, usually completely self absorbed and self entitled.

REAL hard to keep company with them cause they have no capacity to function in life without trying EVERYTHING to it, so you can't just not talk politics, they effuse it into everything and are so cock sure they are right about everything they are dead wrong on.

NOW, I have more republican friends than democratic friends to be honest.

Just where I live.

Good people all, and everyone knows my politics because I have run for and held office.

Mostly, we don't talk politics and they respect that I don't push things on them, and to be honest, while they won't change their way, they know I am a smart guy and probably right about most things.

I do have some business type republicans that I talk politics with in depth, and they are good conversations. I have to measure what I am saying to an extent, but overall, it is good stuff.

Outside of the "tea bag types" I described above, I generally see the good in people as who they are. I don't get it, but something about the republican bullshit that draws A LOT of really, really good people into the fold.

[BillZBubb]

32. That's where we have a fundamental disagreement.

No one who supports the republican party since Reagan is really, really good. They are in fact bad people who should know better.

[JaneyVee]

13. No.

[Nye Bevan]

14. There is so much more to life than politics (nt)

[Ishoutandscream2]

15. Yes. To many, many teabagger types.

It's where I live. Quite possibly the reddest county in the nation. It takes a lot of adjusting.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

28. No, not in a very red county. The Democrats have given up on winning any offices.

I don't waste my breath with them. Logic and reason will not penetrate their skulls. Even a semi-normal conversation can sound like a church service because of their obsession with God. As well as blaming everything on the President.

[TheKentuckian]

17. Don't get on well with the stupid, delusional, theocratic, racist, bigoted, wilfully ignorant,

hateful, piss bucket for the rich type myself but to each their own.

Might make it more plausible if they don't look up and think of you as a frightening animal or a half tamed savage, at best.

[ZombieHorde]

18. Yes. I have conservative friends.

I even have a few theist friends. I like funny people. If you're not funny, I won't look forward to your company.

[Skittles]

38. people who support a party that is racist, misogynist, anti-worker, anti-science, pro-torture

they're funny?

[ZombieHorde]

42. All of my friends are funny. nt

[Skittles]

43. well more power to you

I cannot overlook shit like that

[bigwillq]

19. Probably.

I have acquaintances and family members who are conservative, some of the tea party variety.

None of my close friends are tea party supporters, but I guess it would depend on the person. But I would never rule out being friends (or not friends) with someone because of their political stances. I would hope I would be a bit more open-minded to what they believed in, even if I don't agree with it.

[Rex]

20. I doubt it, we would have nothing in common to talk about. nt

nt

[Rowdyboy]

21. Absolutely. One of our neighbors was a lovely lady who ran an "antique" shop...She and her husband

were warm and fully accepting of my partner and me. We simply NEVER discussed politics or religion. She had blood cancer and was very dear to me especially when I was initially diagnosed with liver cancer.

Living in Mississippi you have basically two choices: either be a total hermit or find people like the two of them.

[AnalystInParadise]

23. Yes

several close friends are extreme tea party types. We are friends because we enjoy each others company, politics has nothing to do with friendship. They are people like me, they are often kind, good people, they love their country, their love their families. the difference is that have VERY different ideas on how to make the country better that I severely disagree with, other than politics I have nothing negative to say about them.

[elleng]

26. Some of my high school classmates may (think they) support t-buggers.

At reunion 2 years ago, I didn't confront them. If/when I see appropriate edifying, news, I post it on FB, and hope they'll see it.

[Half-Century Man]

30. Related to some.

It's a little bit like tap dancing in a minefield sometimes, but eventually you work out the boundaries.

[BillZBubb]

31. Not a chance. I can't even stand to be around conservatives of any stripe.

My tolerance for idiocy has diminished greatly over the years.

[lunasun]

34. Me too I admit my tolerance for stupid haters is down to none

[Shankapotomus]

33. My politics are a part of who I am

I won't hide it for anyone. A friendship devoid of political discussion would be a very boring friendship in my opinion.

[SouthCarolina]

35. Listen to all, share my opinions when appropriate. I want to hear all sides.I want to know why.

Great experiences growing-up. Especially when the extended families got together and had many late nights, talking & visiting (in early years I mostly listened). My relatives came from different social groups, some religious, mostly Roman Catholic, but others too. Sometimes, perhaps fueled by Martinis, Manhattans and beer, the conversation became heated with very different opinions - politics, baseball, whatever. It was a great way to learn. When it came time to leave we always felt very loving toward one another. It was a great time. We are resurrecting the multi-generation get together quite successfully, so far.

[Skittles]

37. I don't need to hear racist, backwards thinking

if I want a taste of it all I have to do is turn on Fox News or repuke radio - fuck that

[Skittles]

36. no

they disgust me

[Populist_Prole]

40. Another vote for NO

Feels all the more real since I'm just now finding out since I have one that went sharply right in the past few years. I rarely spend time around this person because it's an unpleasant experience of walking on eggshells, for all the reasons many have asturely stated above: They just can't STFU about their politics.

I can't stand it.

[Throd]

41. If we can pluck guitars or wrench on cars without talkin' politics, sure.