When you find out someone really nice is a repuke

[undeterred]

what do you do? I've talked to this person at the dog park 50 times and he's really a decent guy. Tonight I was talking with a 3rd person about how badly Bush handled this and he came along and said "you two have it all wrong- it was the local government that screwed up not Bush". The conversation deteriorated after that and I was stunned. This guy is a social worker who knows what its like to be poor. I couldn't believe he would defend Bush, I just couldn't believe it.

:yoiks:

[BikeWriter]

1. There are no really nice repukes!

[Left Is Write]

2. There are nice Republicans. I know many.

I consider them misguided and in many cases woefully underinformed or misinformed.

I do have a really hard time with Bush-support at all, let alone Bush-support so blind that they can't ever conceive of him doing ANYTHING wrong.

[BikeWriter]

5. They are aiding and abetting * crimes with their stupidity.

I don't call that nice!

[Left Is Write]

6. I'll be sure to let my mother-in-law know she's not nice.

You know, it really is necessary sometimes to separate a person's politics from your relationship with them.

I am frustrated with my in-laws' political views (and I'm sure they are dismayed that my influence helped their son turn into a flaming liberal), as well as some other people I know, but they didn't stop being the people I loved before George W. Bush darkened the doorstep of the White House.

[undeterred]

7. I can't separate the relationship from the politics

because right now the politics matters too much.

[BikeWriter]

9. Correct, the politics are killing Americans!

[Left Is Write]

10. I can't NOT, in the case of my in-laws.

If I were unable to separate politics from my relationship with them, there would BE no relationship with them. That's not good for me or anyone else in our family.

I am thankful my own parents are Democrats.

[undeterred]

12. I understand,

Maybe its easier when so much is at stake. But when I meet someone new and then find out that their politics are so different from mine, I just don't want to keep going with the relationship.

And I have seen the attitude carry over within families. When I was unemployed with no health care and desperate for money, I got a lot of unhelpful suggestions from my Republican sister but no help. In her worldview all problems are self-caused and should be self-resolved.

[BikeWriter]

8. I have two Sisters I never knew were so naive, until...

I found out they voted for *. I will respect them a lot more when they learn what a crooked bastard they've enabled to ruin our world.

[MN ChimpH8R]

22. I know a couple

What I don't understand about them is that they will give the shirt off their back for a friend, but are constitutionally incapable of extending that empathy to people they do not know.

My favorite Repuke is a sterling guy I have known since we met in college almost 25 years ago. He bailed me out, no strings attached or repayment expected, when I needed some money a couple of years ago, without my ever asking him for it. He also had a W sticker on his car last year. Maybe with him it's pure genetics and financial self-interest, as he comes from a very wealthy family.

The guy would never have to work another day in his life but took over a troubled family business and returned it to profitability and has expanded it significantly. He agonized for weeks about terminating an employee even though he had good reason to do so and was genuinely concerned about the guy's family. He has reduced his own pay to insure that he wouldn't have to lay off workers, whom he considers part of his own extended family. While it may not have been a big sacrifice on his part, the symbolism is important.

I think with some 'pukes it is as simple as not being able to ascribe the same degree of "realness" to those far away as to those people you see and interact with regularly.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

3. I went to a client's home one time and noticed he had a PICTURE

of W. at his front door?!?!?!?! But I've got to tell you he was a real nice guy!! He even knew that I was a Dean supporter at the time.

[ismnotwasm]

4. Remember repukism is a mental illness

And without appropriate treatment, are unlikely to change. Especially when they are in underfunded overwhelming fields like social work, mental disease is the best answer. If they can't have a give and take conversation, conceding at least a few facts, slowly back away!

[Brewman_Jax]

11. Leave them alone

I can appreciate your pain, 'cause I've had this happen. When the conditions are right, the Mr. Hyde appears. Not only a screaming freeper, but also a racist ("oppressed" older white male, "those" people get ALL the breaks, I work hard! grumble! grumble!) who goes to my folks' church, no less. :(

Came the outburst, in front of everyone at breakfast, prompted by another ignorant racist (I'm not racist, but why can't "those" get their act together and stop being lazy? My sister is a real racist! blah blah). They didn't want to hear what we had to say, they just wanted to vent. We looked at them like they were insane. After that, they looked rather sheepish, like the cat got out of the bag. The lady I never saw again. He wanted to talk about it later, but the damage had been done. "Why?" I answered, "you made your feelings quite clear. I'm one of 'those' people, but I'm okay because you know me, right. Sorry, I can't stay." I don't say more than hello. :hi:

That's always under the surface. When's it gonna happen again? I don't want to be around for another. I can't save them, and I won't educate them. They won't listen to me. They'll have to do the work themselves.

[undeterred]

18. Well, thats the thing, they don't listen to you

and all they listen to is Fox news or other distorted news. Its impossible to argue facts with someone who only watches television to get news information.

I started bringing up the facts about the governor and the mayor asking for help, and the many offers of help which FEMA rejected- and this guy told me none of it was true. Like if it were true he'd have heard about it on Fox. You can't get anywhere discussing it with someone who isn't willing to listen or look behind the spin.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

13. When I find out a friend is a Resmug,

I remain friends, but am careful not to discuss politics unless they've started in with me. If they have, LOOK OUT.

[Kathleen04]

14. One of my

closest friends is a Republican--he's a smart guy too, he just sees things from a completely different point of view than I do. We can joke around about our politics and stuff and we've also had more serious discussions, but when we're done discussing politics, we can leave it there. For me, our friendship is more worth it..

[miss_kitty]

15. When I find out someone nice is a republican

I kick 'em in the goolies

[Ksec]

16. I usually beat them

and then I feel guilty for beating a nice person.

But they had it comin.

[WindRavenX]

17. I don't date Republicans

NT

[bertha katzenengel]

19. Shrug it off. You can still be friends. You can choose not to talk

politics. If you DO choose to talk politics, just keep your cool, and have the facts memorized. :) Good luck.

[leftofthedial]

20. they all have a standing reservation in the reeducation camps

that is, those who escape the death penalty for their crimes

I'm sure there were "nice" Nazis too.

[mitchum]

21. I wake up, get out of bed and go make coffee

[Shell Beau]

23. Just don't talk politics with this person.

I have friends that are repubs, but we only talk politics every so often. Most of my family are repubs. I've learned to deal with it. Life is too short (especially under *) to hate all repubs. That is why I come to DU. Just my two cents.

[tjwmason]

24. I agree totally.

I've got tons of friends from right across the political spectrum, with some I discuss politics with others I don't.

[CanuckAmok]

25. I just found out a couple I adore are republicans...

Both are lovely New Yorkers, active in the arts and fund-raising communities.

But both are life-long repubs.

That said, they are both disappointed in Dubya... I can understand someone's life-long party affilliation being more powerful than their candidate affilliation.