# Love, respect, and tolerance across the socio-political divides **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 24, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451 "2019-03-24T14:36:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/1 "2019-03-24T14:36:31Z")
[The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/mar/24/love-across-the-divide-of-brexit-politics-and-religion) has a lovely article about couples who are social or political opposites. The article covers pro- and anti-Brexit, Republican and Democrat, Conservative and Labour, and Catholic and Protestant. Amor vincit omnia. I’ve summarised the article so I don’t need to quote anything. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/2 "2019-03-25T02:09:23Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Amor vincit omnia. Not sure the article in your link is quite as upbeat about “opposites” as you think: > [@](#): > > We avoid talking about politics now. Unfortunately, that means sometimes we avoid talking and that’s not good for a marriage. […] I do love my husband. He’s a good man and it breaks my heart that he persists in supporting Trump. […] > > I don’t bring politics up now. Ever. But she feels the need to. I mean, I’m the only one she’s got, really. […] > > Things have become better over the past six months, but I’ve told her I don’t want to be with someone who, when I land on my deathbed, can’t stand me. Fundamental disagreements on ethical issues can put real strain on relationships. It’s not as simple as saying _“Aw c’mon folks, love is more important than politics”_ or _“Amor vincit omnia”_ and that makes everything all better. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/3 "2019-03-25T02:27:21Z")
I don’t remember if I mentioned it here, but I dated a Bernie Sanders supporter! Everyone in the Elections forum knows my opinion of Bernie Sanders. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/4 "2019-03-25T15:48:37Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Fundamental disagreements on ethical issues can put real strain on relationships. It’s not as simple as saying _“Aw c’mon folks, love is more important than politics”_ or _“Amor vincit omnia”_ and that makes everything all better. This. A marriage of two people who have fundamentally different values is going to have real trouble. These days, America’s two major political parties have fundamentally different values. If the two parties to a marriage are in opposing political parties, the only way it’s going to work out well is if at least one of them attaches very little importance to politics. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/5 "2019-03-25T15:51:03Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I don’t remember if I mentioned it here, but I dated a Bernie Sanders supporter! Everyone in the Elections forum knows my opinion of Bernie Sanders. That he’s a million times better than Trump? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/6 "2019-03-25T20:21:12Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > That he’s a million times better than Trump? > > 😉 So are you and I. I’ve suggested to Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) that we just stay home on election day, since we probably cancel each other out. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/7 "2019-03-25T20:31:26Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Not sure the article in your link is quite as upbeat about “opposites” as you think: > Fundamental disagreements on ethical issues can put real strain on relationships. It’s not as simple as saying _“Aw c’mon folks, love is more important than politics”_ or _“Amor vincit omnia”_ and that makes everything all better. That part made me literally sad. Being political opposites is tearing up relationship everywhere. I’ve been hearing people say that they don’t talk to their parents because of political disagreements. At first, I thought it was silly. But as things go on, I can imagine how strained it must feel to have to talk to someone who believes in the opposite of things you believe. Politics really is tearing the country apart. I hope that changes soon somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/8 "2019-03-26T18:22:44Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > So are you and I. > > I’ve suggested to Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) that we just stay home on election day, since we probably cancel each other out. This may well lead to one of those crazy scenarios where she says that she is going to get her hair done while you say you are going to the grocery store and then you accidentally run into eachother at the polling place. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/9 "2019-03-26T18:45:32Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > This may well lead to one of those crazy scenarios where she says that she is going to get her hair done while you say you are going to the grocery store and then you accidentally run into eachother at the polling place. 😃 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Reindeer\_Flotilla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reindeer_flotilla/32/3024_2.png) [@Reindeer\_Flotilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reindeer_Flotilla)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/10 "2019-03-26T19:34:29Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > This may well lead to one of those crazy scenarios where she says that she is going to get her hair done while you say you are going to the grocery store and then you accidentally run into eachother at the polling place. 😃 Ha! Then out of sympathy for the other’s feelings, they each vote their spouse’s choice. It’s like O. Henry, except with ‘I Voted’ stickers. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/11 "2019-03-26T19:37:41Z")
> [@Reindeer\_Flotilla](#): > > Ha! Then out of sympathy for the other’s feelings, they each vote their spouse’s choice. > > It’s like O. Henry, except with ‘I Voted’ stickers. Her hair will grow back, dude, and I’ve got the time on my phone. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-respect-and-tolerance-across-the-socio-political-divides/831451/12 "2019-03-26T23:01:23Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > That he’s a million times better than Trump? > > 😉 Yes, Sanders is a million times better than Trump and I would have voted for him if he’d been the nominee in 2016 or becomes the nominee in 2020. Politics has split my parents and I. We do still talk, but I rip into my mom if she brings up politics. I make her twist herself into a pretzel trying to defend her votes. I’m sick of her bothsiderism and whataboutism. I told her I know damn well she’d vote for Trump even if he roasted her grandson on a spit and ate him for dinner, with ketchup, of course.