# Politics: love it or hate it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 2, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174 "2008-10-02T14:48:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pollux\_Oil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Pollux\_Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollux_Oil)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/21 "2008-10-03T04:30:57Z")
I’m not a fan of politics. Mostly because I hate arguing and I’m an independent so I’m not really fixed on any particular issues except certain social ones (abortion, gay rights). I find that talking politics usually results in a net gain of zero for anybody involved, as from what I’m observed politics is one of the subjects that people are LEAST likely to change their opinion on during a debate. It’s also a subject that people are very likely to be misinformed on. Or maybe it’s just because I’m getting sick of the “All liberals are evil” fountain of information that comes from my relatives’ mouths. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/22 "2008-10-03T04:46:27Z")
I love politics. One of my college friends was very involved in the Hart '84 campaign and told me lots of war stories from the campaign trail; I’ve been a volunteer (and sometime monetary contributor) in every presidential and many state and local campaigns since then. Politics are how we discuss and decide the most important issues of our time: war, peace, taxes, the environment, the economy, guns, abortion, etc. Who is going to appoint judges? Will a sewage plant be built next to your house? Will we invade another country? Sooner or later it comes down to politics. Democracy simply won’t work unless most, if not all, people play at least some role in politics. As Plato said, “Those who refuse to participate in politics will, before long, be ruled by fools.” ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/23 "2008-10-03T06:46:54Z")
I like the _idea_ of politics, but IRL, the members of any governing body seem like a bunch of passive-aggressive, pandering, self-serving assholes. Especially the republicans (see how I joke?). But really, I’m far too cynical to put that much faith in any system or individual. From a distance, it cuts the mustard, but when you look at the blade too close, it’s jagged, rusty and ugly. However, I find the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights to be wonderfully idealistic and mostly relevant over 200 years later. Impressive. Plus, to me, the details of Politics and Law are painfully boring. But campaign races sure can be fun, can’t they?! ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/24 "2008-10-03T15:03:38Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I have great respect for the people whose job it is to run a country, or even a town. > > But I hate politics. That is, the underhanded double-crossing two-faced corruptive lies and empty promises that are endemic to Governmental rule. Exactly my feelings. On top of it all, I’m not allowed to vote either in Canada or the US because I’m a US resident but not a citizen. So, I’m bombarded with it, but can’t do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/25 "2008-10-03T20:41:53Z")
I hate politics. How could I do otherwise? Politicians boast about how they’ll employ coercion to give me a better life, which I find both insulting to my intelligence and immoral. ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/26 "2008-10-04T04:12:42Z")
Everyone’s opinions have been decided by their prejudices since day 1. The crap that goes on day to day is just a way to justify their decision. I hate politics, I wish they’d go away. How do they not show another “the office” episode because of the stupid VP debate:mad: ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/27 "2008-10-04T04:45:43Z")
The people most capable of getting themselves into positions of power, are always the people least deserving and least qualified to be in that position. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/28 "2008-10-04T05:37:18Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > The people most capable of getting themselves into positions of power, are always the people least deserving and least qualified to be in that position. You said it better than I did, but I just told my dad the exact thing. More like, the people that should really be running the country, are the people that have no interest in the things that make politics attractive to those that end up doing it. Or something. Like I said, you said it better. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/29 "2008-10-04T12:36:55Z")
Politics & religion, Religion & politics- love to study & discuss 'em both! ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/30 "2008-10-04T20:07:16Z")
I hate politics but participate anyway. I feel the same way about it as addicted smokers who want to quit feel about cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/31 "2008-10-04T21:02:34Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > I hate politics. > > I’d like a politics forum, because I hate politics. Just add “and politicians” to the above and you have my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/13edae/32.png) [@Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interconnected_Series_of_Tubes)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/32 "2008-10-04T21:17:18Z")
Politics, like religion, ultimately boils down to a person’s ideological beliefs. These beliefs are rarely coherent or well supported, but are completely immutable. This makes any discussion of politics or religion (with few exceptions) an exercise either in self-absorbed wankery, or utter futility. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/33 "2008-10-04T23:00:05Z")
Love it. Whether it’s what’s going on in the world, on Wall Street (ahem, ahem), or in business - politics covers it all. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/34 "2008-10-05T00:40:06Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I hate politics. Once someone’s elected to Political office they tend to stop giving a shit what the people who elected them actually think, and all the in-fighting is tedious bullshit because they’re all as bad as each other anyway. > > I don’t want to hear about politics _ever_, unless it’s in relation to a real, tangible issue which directly affects me. Since 90% of politics doesn’t, I don’t want to hear about it, and I believe we are so far overdue for a Politics Forum that it’s almost as if someone in charge _likes_ tormenting those of us who hate politics by allowing the proliferation of political threads in every smegging forum on the boards. Masterfully said, as always. (I don’t always agree with you, but I like the way you get your point across. And on this occasion, I **do** agree 100%.) ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/35 "2008-10-05T02:21:06Z")
I’m an absolutely shameless political junkie. I watch C-Span for fun. I can’t begin my day without checking out the morning headlines out of Washington. I frequently IRL need to reign myself in to avoid boring the crap out of someone else, or worse offending them. I also have very little patience for people who think that politics have no real effect on their life, because that demonstrates either a genuine ignorance (which is sad), or willful ignorance (which infuriates me). ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/36 "2008-10-05T02:31:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Politics Is Life. Everything else is…less than that. > Of course, I _teach_ American Government and Economics, so I’m a bit biased. If you’re good at it, and I have no doubt you **are** , would you please go to DC and teach it to **THEM**? Thank you 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/37 "2008-10-05T04:21:21Z")
> [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](#): > > Masterfully said, as always. (I don’t always agree with you, but I like the way you get your point across. And on this occasion, I **do** agree 100%.) Aw, shucks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174/38 "2008-10-19T17:05:36Z")
From [_The City in Mind: Notes on the Urban Condition,_](http://www.amazon.com/City-Mind-Notes-Urban-Condition/dp/0684845911) by James Howard Kunstler, chapter on Boston: > [@](#): > > When friends and colleagues complain that someone is not treating them the way they would like, or the way they expected, or that some deal fell through, or that somebody failed to keep up his end of an agreement, or that someone broke her heart, or that someone did something absolutely bizarre and unexpected to them, or wantonly harmed them, or made an unreasonable demand, or insulted them, or misjudged them, or did anything else that implies the collision of two independent wills, I try to remind them, as untendentiously as possible, that human character is unfathomably mysterious and perverse. This ought to be the first law of politics, which is **the art of managing human will in the aggregate by force of character.** That’s as good a definition as I’ve ever encountered. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-love-it-or-hate-it/466174.md?page=1)