This is sorta outta the blue, But I don't know how many of you ...

[oldtimecanuk]

are married to or live with significant others who are Republicans, but I do/did until about a month ago. We were married for 35 + years actually, and it dawned on me one day that hey, she is not ragging on me because of our marriage as such, but because she doesn't like the fact that I am a Democrat (Liberal) So, we are not together and I am wanting a Divorce for irreconcilable differances... That's my story, and I'm sticking to it...

ww

[illinoisprogressive]

1. she should respect your views and party. but I'm sorry about your separation

I would respect my husbands repug politics as long as he did not try to change me or push it in my face,ect.
fortunately he is a dem.

[oldtimecanuk]

5. Thanks for the reply and the kind words.... eom...

[Katherine Brengle]

2. Sorry to hear that -- my husband

is more conservative on some issues than I am, but when it comes right down to it, he's on our side. When we met, he was much further to the right - as a result of years of talks and influence, he's come around quite a bit and pushed me to the other side on guns lol.

I think people who really care about politics need to agree for the most part to be happy together. For most people, it's not an issue bc they don't know enough or care enough.

[snowbear]

3. Awww O/T Canuck...

We'll always be here for ya!

[Hissyspit]

4. Long-term Significant Other relationships are about shared values.

more than anything else - even money issues, which are very important are about shared values (sexual attraction isn't, I would think). More importantly, they are about BALANCE of shared values. If you have some BIG values not shared/in opposition to each others, and that is not offset by some other kind of balance, then the people have less incentive to stay together, having to deal with that conflict.

[Betsy Ross]

6. Sending Oldtimecanuk a heart

We love you here.

[oldtimecanuk]

8. Thanks Betsy... I appreciate the love... eom...

[oldtimecanuk]

7. She thinks that I spend much to much time on line talking to you..

folks, but doesn't want to discuss current events. Funny thing is, that our friends are the same way, and a good deal of that is really caused by MSM not being upfront about what is really happening in the world.... Covering 90% of there time with ANS death instead of our young men and women dieing in Iraq... So, the problem really does come down to what is truth and what does MSM spread that is decietful....

ww

[oldtimecanuk]

9. I love all of you, but I didn' t get the feed back that I was after...

Guess I really want to figure out is if I am the problem or is she with lack of understanding, given the current events as they are? My biggest problem is that the MSM does not report current events as they should, and therefore the general populace does not really know what is going on in the world. So, how does one explain that to a significant other?

ww

[marions ghost]

13. If she is OK

about the breakup then there is nothing more to be said.

There really is such a thing as irreconciliable differences, especially with rigid thinkers.

[MasterDarkNinja]

10. Sorry to hear it

It must be rough being really into politics with a spouse who disagrees with you on almost every political issue.

I'm not married, but my parents started out in different parties, my dad a republican, and my mom a democrat. I think my mom was always a more moderate democrat, while my dad an extreme conservative (especially in economic issues). I don't know if they used to fight over politics or not, but he got her to switch parties over the years, but she's still a moderate.

I know how it feels to live with a bunch of republicans, because that's what my whole family is. My older brother and dad will believe anything Faux news tells them.

[ninkasi]

11. I'm sorry to hear it

Something must have kept you together for all of those years. Much the same thing happened with me about 30 years ago. I left my husband of 18 years, and we divorced 2 years later. Many of the reasons that led to our differences were a completely different outlook on life.

He was conservative, I was liberal, and there just were too many things we couldn't agree on. He was racist, sexist, and didn't believe in helping the less fortunate. There was nowhere to go for me but away. It might be, in your case, that the divide between conservative and liberal has become so pronounced now, that it has intruded upon your marriage, and you can't ignore it anymore.

In my case, a lot of it had to do with the civil rights movement, and integration. I went to work in an office that went strictly by EEOC guidelines, and made a number of black friends. My ex gave me hell about it, because he truly thought that blacks were inferior. He didn't have any black friends, and I did, so I knew better. I knew it was time to leave when he asked me if I wanted a black lover. He made me sick, and I couldn't bear to be around him anymore. The issue hadn't come up before, but when it did, it made me see the man I had married in the harsh light of truth.

I wish the best to you, and hope that whatever happens, will be in your best interests. We truly do live in interesting times. It seems to me that we are getting more and more polarized as a country, and that many old friendships, and relationships, will be shattered in the days to come, and many new ones will be formed. Again, I wish the best for you.

[pnwmom]

12. I recently reconnected with some long lost relatives

and things were going well until I learned they were both big fans of Ann Coulter.

Don't see much of a future there, alas. Life's too short.

[mtnsnake]

14. Isn't that the truth, pnwmom

It's so amazing in this divided society of ours how little it takes to find out who you can relate to and who you don't wanna bother with. I don't care how great things can be going with someone in a new conversation, but as soon as you find out they're a fan of someone like Coulter's, Limbaugh's, or Newt, or Bush, the red flags pop up all over the place.

I had the same thing happen a couple weeks ago when I got talking to my wife's dorky-as-hell brother in law at a small family reunion type thing. He's a nice enough guy, so I put up with his boring talk about this and that for a while, but when he got into discussing how he told off some cousin of his because his cousin blasted Bush, "our commander in chief", it was time to change the subject in midstream and move on.

Anyway, you're right, pnw. Life is too short :)

[Jennicut]

15. My parents are big time Repubs but we are very close

Because we agree to disagree about politics. I am a liberal Dem and my Mom is a moderate Repub and my Dad is a conservative Repub. Sometimes over the years (esp. when I was younger) my Dad and I would get in Very heated debates. My Mom would have to break them up because we were shouting at each other! However, now that I'm 31 and married with two kids of my own my Dad realizes that I am old enough not to be considered naive about politics and I have made up my mind now and he can't push me around in debates anymore. My Dad is a hard worker, a fair person, a great Dad and wonderful Grandfather but I hate his love of Rush, Bush, Bill O'Reilly, etc. My Mom is not so bad as she likes some Dems and will at least watch MSNBC (better than Fox at least!). She is more moderate on social issues so we agree alot more. I love both my parents but I don't see them everyday and I think in a love relationship it might be too much strain. Maybe one day you're wife or soon to be ex-wife will see the light, Oldtimecanuck. I keep hoping in my family. My Dad actually shocked me right after the Congressioanl elections by saying the Iraq war is a mess and troops need to start coming home so you never know.

[Apollo11]

16. 35 + years !!!

That's my first reaction to your post. How did your marriage last so long?

I find it hard to imagine falling in love with a Republican, because they have such a hate-based belief system.

Maybe in the past they kept it hidden, but we have learned a lot about the other side since November 2000.