Letting political opinions affect relationships

[wrist cutter]

[b]Short version:[/b] Would you stop seeing a person (as in, romantically) due to differing opinions on political issues?

[b]Longer version:[/b] I was watching Seinfeld and Elaine had just found the perfect guy. When she explained to Jerry that she wouldn't eat at a certain pizza place because the owner there was pro-life. Jerry asked where her new, perfect boyfriend stood on this subject, and suddenly she realized she didn't know. As it turned out, he was pro-life, and so she stopped dating him.

So I'm wondering if you would do this too. Not just abortion either. Is there some political/religious/scientific subject that you are just so emphatic about that you couldn't date someone who didn't agree with you? And this doesn't mean you can't be friends with this person or anything... for friendship I think most people can look past such things.

One thing to keep in mind is that I'm thinking in terms of a life-long partner here. If you're considering someone for marriage (or your equivalent, if that isn't a possibility for you), what subjects must they agree with you on?

[Boba Fett]

[COLOR=green]I'd continue to be friends with someone, regardless of their political opinion. I personally disagree with everything the Democratic Party stands for, yet many of my friends are among its supporters. I enjoy a good argument every once in a while?

I'd be fine with it, unless that person couldn't back up their opinion with facts. I'd probably discard any friend who had a differing option than mine, but couldn't back that opinion up with facts. I tend to have little patience for those who have baseless opinions. [/COLOR]

[Guest cloricus]

You will always disagree with anyone on at least one point, but some thing so unimportant standing in the way of a perfect partner is just laughable and people in real life who give it up because of things like that are just childish. (Childish in the way that they always want to be right.) Like what?s the worst that?s going to happen, if you go to a referendum and one votes yes and the other no. Who cares?
As the saying goes 'no one can make a difference' so unless it is some thing serious say the partner liked killing people then opposite opinions should not get in the way.

[Carr]

[color=blue] [size=1] I agree with cloricus: You will always disagree with anyone on at least one point. If you always agreed with everything your partner said, the relationship would be boring. You do not start a relationship to become a carbon copy of your partner.
As long as you agree on the major points, nothing life-altering or lifestyle-changing, disagreeing on issues can make things interesting, give you something to talk about. I do not see how you could let an opinion (unless bigotous) stand in the way of a relationship.[/size] [/color]

[BabyGirl]

[color=deeppink]I definitely could stay with someone who I disagree with on major issues in my life. I'm the type of person who will listen to the flip side of my own opinion and try to understand it before I decide whether or not to disagree with it. And if I don't end up believing in the same thing as them, I still highly respect that they have a firm opinion backed up by their convictions and morals.

For instance, my boyfriend and I are highly committed to each other and probably will be for a long time. He's a Republican who hates 'idealistic liberal hippies' because he believes that their opinions are unfounded. However, I'm most often on the left side of things, I share in far more Democratic beliefs than he does. We stay together just fine :)

We [i]do[/i] often have intelligent discussions where we'll both acknowledge that we don't agree with what the other person is saying, but I think it brings up more understanding than anything.

I think that as long as both parties are willing to listen objectively [or maybe with just a LITTLE bit of objectivity?] to what the other person has to say, then things can always work out.

...unconditional love for someone always works as a cushion, too :whoops:[/color]

[Baron Samedi]

Dumping the perfect partner (or even a good one) for petty opinions? If people were not so easily inflamed and scared by other views, they would realise that it doesn't matter if they have other views...

I would marry a Christian/ [insert alternative opinion here] if I loved them. Maybe not if they constantly [i]forced[/i] their viewpoint on me, but if we discussed it on occasions that would be fine. If people didn't try to cram their opinions down others throats, then there wouldn't be a problem. Also, if people weren't so up themselves to think that the other person is bad for having a different view than them, that would help the situation.

So: Yes, I would want to be with a person, regardless of their opinions on subjects, [i]on the proviso[/i] that they didn't try to force me to agree with their views.

[craig8429]

why would people let it affect you....I mean really, it's just a persoanl thought. if you love someone it shouldn't matter.

[James]

[color=#707875]This is an interesting question. For me...I simply don't know.

In my relationship, I don't have any major ideological differences with my partner -- we both tend to have similar political views and so on. I guess that there are probably differences on the specifics of some things...but that simply gives us an opportunity to make discussion about it. I mean, it's never a divisive issue at all.

So, that's my current situation. But if I was single and I met someone tomorrow who I really like...and then find out that politically, they're either a tree hugging liberal or a neo-Nazi conservative (since I dislike the extremes of both ideologies)? I don't know. I guess it depends.

If this person spends every waking moment talking about their ideological causes and making frequent political comments about things...then, perhaps, I wouldn't be interested in a relationship. But I don't think that has anything to do with ideology at all -- it's simply a matter of courtesy and manners.

So yeah, I guess the answer is that I don't know. I guess there are some things that I could never look past, in a potential partner. But that's the same for everyone I assume.[/color]

[Guest cloricus]

[color=teal]Neo-Nazi conservative - New Socialist Conservatives. I never knew such a combination was possible; the Nazi ideology from what I've learnt in school is in no way conservative. Do you not mean Neo-Conservative? (Which I also dislike.) If not could you explain it further here or in pm to me? Thanks.[/color]

[Delian]

I don't tolerate people who try and force their opinions on others. So if my partner and I were committed to our relationship, then we would have already established respect for one anothers views and beliefs, political or otherwise.

Anyway whatever our differences may be, they would always make for an interesting point of conversation. Although we may not agree on certain issues, we would always reach a mutual understanding for the reasons behind our opinions

[Vegitto4]

I would have to wait and see. It would depend on the topic of discussion at the point in time.

My (ex)girlfriend and I disagreed on religious issues, and how we would raise our children(if we were to have any) based on our beliefs. We both feared that would be the one thing that would cause constant tension in our relationship. So we were working to get through that, at an early point, so it would be done with. [/slight off topicness]

I would have to agree with James on this one. I wouldn't know until I got into that exact type of situation.

[James]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by cloricus [/i]
[B][color=teal]Neo-Nazi conservative - New Socialist Conservatives. I never knew such a combination was possible; the Nazi ideology from what I've learnt in school is in no way conservative. Do you not mean Neo-Conservative? (Which I also dislike.) If not could you explain it further here or in pm to me? Thanks.[/color]
[/B][/QUOTE]

[color=#707875]Yes, such a combination is possible. Ethnic cleansing is a pretty hardcore conservative action, I'd say.

Are you sure you've never heard the term "Neo-Nazi Conservative"? I've heard it plenty. It doesn't necessarily rely on a specific political ideology, in terms of economics and such.

But I don't want to throw the discussion off the rails. I just wanted to address the fact that I [i]do[/i] know what I'm talking about. That's all.[/color]

[Heaven's Cloud]

[color=indigo]I don't like going out with people that tend to agree with me. It ends up being boring an conversations grow mundane. I think I would have to marry someone that has a differnet view on life than I do, someone that likes to debate, talk, and express [b]their[/b] opinions not reflections of my own.

On the flip side, I couldn't see myself with an over zealous left or right winger. People that blindly follow a political party wierd me out...[/color]

[Kent]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i]
[B][color=#707875]

Are you sure you've never heard the term "Neo-Nazi Conservative"? I've heard it plenty.
[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

I just wanted to mention that in America throughout my stint with politics, I've seen "neo-nazi conservative" used more often than I would like to see. I think it's related to the natural negativity of anything using the word nazi, in combo with political name calling.

However, on the dating subject...

I would never let my ideal of politics get in the way of my personal relationships.

My last relationship caused me to think this over, I was dating a person who was inclined to express opinions, but never interested in the facts surrounding the issue. (not even the ocassional news broadcast.)

I didn't let it get to me and we never had discussion on that level of dialouge.

Then again that thing died quickly, so maybe everything works itself out on its own. ;)

[Maully]

[color=green]If you agree all the time with your significant other, things get boring. I Get along much better with people who have different opinions than I do and voice them and back them up legitimately than those who either just agree with me or do not take the time to make opinions.

I rarely agree w/my boyfriend on such things, but it opens up to discussion. Sometimes it leads to fights, but that in turn leads to making up...[/color]

[Harry]

I dumped a girl who made me listen to Pacifica radio for an hour while going to galveston. Never looked back.

[Artemis]

I never really thought about it. I guess, the abortion issue is so major to me (if you haven't read elsewhere, I'm a conservative Catholic from a family of 10) that I would have a very difficult time going out with a "pro-choice" guy. I believe your opinion on that issue is a bit of a commentary on the kind of person you are. (I don't feel like pro-choice people truly have complete respect for human life. If you get pregnant, it's your own fault (and the father's); you need to take care of it instead of just "getting rid of the problem.") I could date him if he simply believed in it, but not if he actively fought for it. It would put way too much stress on the relationship. I'm far too opinionated, and he would probably get sick of it after awhile. *shrugs* I'm better off w/o him! (whoever "him" is!) :)