# I've got The Political Views Blues. Rant. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 5, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805 "2016-08-05T02:38:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805/41 "2016-08-06T07:44:19Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Yeah. > > I didn’t mean to make it sound as if you were speaking to my situation, but I forgot to add that in my last point. > > Here’s the thing… \*THIS \*guy is a troll. I mean, not an internet troll, but a real life troll. > > Saying that shit will NOT work. He’s an asshole, partly to be an asshole, he thinks he’s smarter than everyone else, he’s attacked me for things like being on food stamps… but I have a learning disability and other things that… whatever. He knows that I feel ashamed about it. But he prods and prods. Why do you consider him a friend? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805/42 "2016-08-06T13:25:23Z")
I am stunned that politics or religion is brought up in the office. Currently I work with 3 people closely and many others in other departments. The three - My boss and I have worked together for 24 years. We have never talked politics or religion. Eight years with coworker A, and 3 with coworker B. I guess we could guess which way we lean, but never has a word been said about politics or religion. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805/43 "2016-08-06T16:59:07Z")
I teach, and on the first day of the semester I declare the classroom off limits for religion, politics, or “That’s what she said” jokes. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805/44 "2016-08-06T17:43:15Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Why do you consider him a friend? Because I got to troll him back, and aside from arguing about politics, I was damn good at it. We had some fun… I use his own his own words and actions against him. It’s like… “Calling 3 times when someone is trying to watch the live brodcast of ‘Better Call Saul’ is now where you want to go now? I think I can arrange a messured responce to this level of trolling…” The guy hates being woken up. I see on Facebook that he had only 2 hours since he was last on, which means he was up most of the night… So I would keep calling him. Once he gave me a time where I could call him on the weekends. Knowing he was still sleeping, I would call him at that time on the dot. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805/45 "2016-08-06T18:58:12Z")
> [@Personal](#): > > I bet he’s lonely. But I’m sure he’ll get by with a little help. But that was Billy Shears, not Sgt. Pepper… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805/46 "2016-08-07T14:06:49Z")
Much FB drama would be alleviated if more people created and used lists. I rarely post to all of my “friends”. I have a family list (one for each side of the family; the joy of divorced parents), a politics list, a cooking list, a high school friends list, a sci-fi fan list, etc. I have a core group of friends who enjoy discussing politics as a contact sport, but with a brain. No “birthers” or similar nonsense, and logical fallacies are also hooted down. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Believe it or not, at work and with family and friends (and on Facebook) I simply don’t allow myself to get drawn into political discussions. > > \ > > Family and friends are far more important and less transitory than politics. Well said. My stepmother, in particular, has gone full lunatic with anti-Obama and right-wing Christian statements with no basis in fact, so I just unfollowed her. When I want to catch up, I go to her homepage and do a quick scan, skipping over the nutjob stuff. > [@digs](#): > > Sounds like your aunt went full retard. It’s election season; I’ve learned to accept that a lot of people go full-out crazy. It is far easier now that I live somewhere that my POV is pretty mainstream; it was \*\*\*much \*\*\*harder when I lived in Red State Bible Belt Land. ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805/47 "2016-08-07T14:30:14Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > I’ve been thinking about your dilemma **MyFootsZZZ** and I think I have come up with a solution. When people force you into a political conversation reply by saying that you are voting for Clinton because you are sexually attracted to her. Talk about her sexy voice and her smoking bod. Go into unnecessarily fine detail. Also mention that you like to drink milk past its expiration date. > > I guarantee you’ll be avoided for future political discussion. > > You’re welcome. I’ve actually done this. New to my current job, I told a co-worker how hot I thought Hillary Clinton was and that was why I was voting for Bill. 20 years later he still brings it up. (He likes to find something and dig at you about it, it’s good natured though.) Earlier this year I told him I’d switched to Debbie Wasserman-Schultz because of her curly hair and Hill was getting too old. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805/48 "2016-08-07T20:59:15Z")
I gently lampoon what they’re trying to troll me about. For example, I just bid on a new job and half way through a very nice meeting, the guy goes and starts railing against liberals out of the blue. Now, I always figure transparency is best and at some point they might connect my regular Facebook to my business one or see a bumper sticker on my car they disagree with. So, letting the cat out of the bag allows us to part ways amicably upfront with no hard feelings if necessary. And a lot of times, people (of all stripes) only have caricatures in mind when they’re doing on whatever thing they don’t like. Therefore, I assumed that this guy had probably never even seen a liberal in the wild. I waited for my opportunity and then I politely asked if he had problems with any liberals that might work for him. He was a bit confused by the question, initially thinking I’d called him one (the horrors!), but I assured by smiling broadly and pointing to myself. This is what ensued… Me: Yes, sir, I’m a liberal. Him: You don’t kill babies do you? Me: Not usually, but if I have to, I save it for Tuesday afternoons. Laughter follows and I got the job, so I’m thinking it’s all good. Although I’m sure I’ll hear some from time to time, no to mention a whopping dose of Fox News in the background, but I think we’ve all marked our territory kindly enough to keep everyone coloring within the lines. Works for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-the-political-views-blues-rant/761805.md?page=2)