How do you deal with GOP and/or Freeper co-workers and family?

[CBHagman]

Poll question: How do you deal with GOP and/or Freeper co-workers and family?

Okay, DUers. We've all got 'em -- co-workers and family and friends who are Young Republicans or terrifying right-wingers or just set-in-their-ways voters who bash Kerry and other Democrats automatically.

I have an otherwise nice co-worker who seems to enjoy rubbing salt in my wounds and grilling me for details on who won debates, etc., but when I actually offer an opinion, he'll put it down. I'm trying to keep my comments neutral, as I do with other people like him at the office or in the family, but this may be hard.

By the way, my Brother the Republican has termed Bush an ass****.


What about you, DUers? Do you...

[aden_nak]

1. Open elevator shafts are the safest method.

Barring that, I just plan to slash their tires on November 2nd. ;)

[CBHagman]

4. Snicker.

Thinking those lovely thoughts, huh? :-)

[aden_nak]

14. It's Monday.

[Proud liberal Kat]

2. Have had to come to the agree to disagree part/pleasantly tease with the

in-laws. We did engage in serious discussions where I tried to convert them, but they started ruining family gatherings and my Mother-In Law asked we stopped speaking about the election at gatherings, I went along. I still do send the occasional e-mails and we tease each other.

[Tweed]

3. My dad's co-worker supports Bush: drove us closer to a Kerry rally

He said it was the least he could do. My family didn't have to walk a mile and a half to get there and we got a better spot in line. It was very nice. The nicest thing I've seen a Bush supporter do this time around.

On edit: Made fun of a friend who canvassed for Bush and got paid $100. Asked her how she was planning on spending her blood money. Asked her if she was going to give the money to the poor because if Bush wins, they are going to need it.

[MsUnderstood]

5. My liberal boss warned me to be cool this month

Some of the more freepish in our hallway are getting mighty hot under the collar.

My boss suggested not talking politics as to avoid ruffling feathers.

It makes sense. I'm not gonna change their minds.

I had a polite debate with one gal who wanted to know why the hell Kerry outed Mary Cheney. Although I explained Mary was already out and working on her Dad's campaign, she stuck with her arguement.

Next I pointed out Kerry may have been wrong in his method, but his action was to show the split in the Republican vote--and how wrong it would be to add a constitutional amdendment. At some point in the convo, this gal who "felt sorry for" this lesbian then told be businesses should not give rights to homosexuals if they don't believe in it.

I was floored. She knows I'm gay but tells me that gays don't need rights only to be left alone in their closet. . .

[MSgt213]

6. Tell them to SHUT UP!!! and cut their mics

[freetobegay]

7. Am I the only one that does this?

"Engage in screaming matches and hair-pulling."

[faithfulcitizen]

18. nope, me too!

he-he well, not the hair-pulling part...but screaming matches yes!

[lapislzi]

22. I use fingers-in-the-ears

and a chorus of "la, la, la, I'm not listening!"

Doesn't hurt as much as hair pulling. Besides, the screech monkey in my office has 50+ pounds on me...

[liberal N proud]

8. I have been presenting them with credible facts for months

Actually think that I may have converted a couple of them.

[dave502d]

9. Most of my co-worrker hate Bush and my family would never vote for Bush.

[opstachuck]

10. i never argue with my dad about politics...

he can be pretty authoritarian (although getting better) and doesn't appreciate opposition from me. thank god he's voting for kerry - the first time in 20 years that he's voting democratic (i think). my stepmom is more vocal and she teases me about it and i tease her but we've given up hope of converting anyone so it stays pretty civil.

[noonwitch]

11. How I deal with Grandpa

My grandpa is an atheist republican. He thinks religion is silly and for the uneducated.

I am forever asking him how he can bring himself to vote for someone who invades countries because he claims God told him to. Grandpa can't answer that, he always responds with either a personal attack on Kerry or "If Bush loses, the terrorists win" bs.

He'll never back down or concede that he is wrong, but at least he respects my opinion. I give him hell for casting Grandma's absentee ballot for her (she's in a nursing home). In 2000, she wanted to vote for Gore, but couldn't figure out how to work the punch thing on the absentee ballots (she has mild senile dementia, not alzheimers). So he cast her ballot for Bush. My mom was supposed to contact the county clerk to keep them from sending the ballot out, but I don't know if she did.

[Liberal Veteran]

17. Um, I don't mean to pry here, but....

...have you pointed out to your Grandfather that by casting a ballot on someone else's behalf, he is undermining democracy and engaging in a criminal act?

[Cerridwen]

12. Different people, different situation, different solution

At my grandmother's wake many years ago, Newt Gingrich wannabe, look-a-like uncle spent entire time "liberal bashing" me and following me around the house. My mom was there (her brother), it was my grandmother's wake, fer crissakes! I avoided him as much as possible, let him look like a jerk. He later took me to task for not defending my position! Compassionate conservative.

Former boyfriend who's freeper-ish but about to go to Iraq, I listen.

Co-worker who I believe to be closested repub (doesn't dare come out in this office of mostly progressives), give her updated info on the draft (her son and his new wife are within the age group), point out inconsistencies, provide info, discuss debates, keep it in front of her, etc.

Mom is becoming more conservative as she's getting older, we've agreed to avoid political topics. Until a few weeks ago when she told me how much she loved that Teresa Heinz Kerry told that reporter to "shove it!" My mom, one fiesty lady, loves other fiesty ladies. She also doesn't vote and can't be persuaded by by her children to do so.

Some examples for you and which allowed me to rant and vent.

Thank you for your time.


:hi:

[Rambis]

13. I shoot at them with my new assault weapon:)

I have beaten them down with facts and they keep getting up so...}(

[lapislzi]

15. Depends on the freeper

I have a freepy co-worker with whom I can have intelligent, spirited discussions and agree to disagree. We engage in good-natured ribbing, shake hands, no harm no foul.

I have another freepy co-worker who is a borderline skinhead and who tries to convert me to her wingnut positions. I have asked her to please stop discussing politics with me, even though she is always polite and presents her arguments cogently. It's just too tedious to have to jam my head that far up my ass to engage in a counterproductive discussion.

Another one likes to screech, and I just avoid her.

All this in a predominatly liberal workplace.

[Misunderestimator]

16. Just had an argument with someone who works for me this morning...

finally, I told him to stop talking over me and listen, or just sit down and shut up. He sat down and shut up. The good thing is that he can't vote anyway, because he's not a citizen. I think he just likes seeing my face get red. :mad:

[Devil Dog Dem]

19. With a .45 loaded with hollowpoints.

Nothing gets your point across better than a .45 hollowpoint.

[maine_raptor]

23. Oh I don't know about that DDD,

I prefer double-ought in a 12 guage at ten paces, a might messier I grant you, but it avoids hearing them last gurgling, gasping and other type replies they might have to the statement.

:evilgrin:

[Devil Dog Dem]

29. That's true, but with good shot placement, there will be no such gurgling.

Also, OO Buck over-penetrates in a modern house (with drywall). You will have enough spread even if most those slugs (equivalent of 9 .32 cal. slugs in a 2 3/4" slug, 12 in a 3" slug) hit center mass some will spread out and penetrate a wall behind the guy, maybe hit a family member.

[maine_raptor]

32. Who said anything about letting them into the house?

[LiveWire]

33. Now if you drilled out those hollowpoints...

and you filled them with primer, then youd get your opinion across with alot more explosive force...

[DrZeeLit]

20. Combination

My mom is a Republican period. I don't think she even considers anything else, nor is she at all conversant in any of the issues. She does not consider any alternative.

And she knows me. She's my mom. She's watched me grow up and profess liberal views since I could speak. She watched me protest the war in Vietnam, volunteer for liberal causes (at the time such as Special Olympics, "a Kennedy thing" oh my) and even walk a mile for Robert Kennedy in the California primary. Sooooo... it's not like I'm a surprise.

So we just laugh it and tease each other. It's easier. We have enough issues as it is. She's gettin' old...not about to change... and so on.

With one of my brothers..the one who actually listens to Rush... I've stopped conversing altogether. I got a letter from my sister who went to visit him. She is married to a Vietnam Vet (a marine who threw his medals out the window of the bus taking him from the airport to home). She is sooooo anti-Bush. She got into it with my brother. This is new. I'm the black sheep. But it's good to have an ally.

So... tease the Mom; stop talking to the Neanderthal bro.
I'm batting zero, huh?

[ncteechur]

21. PRAY FOR THEIR SOULS THAT THEY MAY BE HEALED OF THEIR EVIL

[Mad_Dem_X]

24. My family is all Dem, so

I don't have any problems with them. I do have a couple of friends and some co-workers who are * backers. I just try to keep my sense of humor when the talk turns political and then try to change the subject. The one co-worker, whom I've mentioned here a couple of times, we've "gotten into it" a few times, but mostly we just joke about it.I'll say, "There's my Republican friend!" and he'll say,"There's my Democrat friend!" :hi:

[cmf]

25. My in-laws are all Repub

We just don't discuss politics - it's mutual, they respect our opinion, and we respect theirs. They're old, you know?

As far as friends go, I'm spending a lot less time with certain people. One couple that we're acquainted with are repugs. She's really not that bad, but her husband is 100% freeptard. I just can't stand to be around him. We were at a farewell lunch for some mutual friends and someone had brought up this political test one of us had emailed around. He proudly proclaimed that he scored 100% "Right Wing Zealot". He went on to say that although it's hard to choose, he thinks he hates French people more than he hates White Supremacists. (BTW, I'm Black.) I just shook my head, looked at them and said, "That's really scary." I then proceeded to ignore both of them the rest of the time. We won't be hanging out with them any time soon.

[Ksec]

26. I cuss at them

and then ignore them

[Crunchy Frog]

27. Fortunately, don't have any.

:)

[Commendatori]

28. I gave up as soon as I was told by one that

I can't support the troops without being for the war. From that point on, what's the point?

[insidious]

30. Pigs and Freepers are an endangered species...

in my family. My parents, brother, and I share an intense loathing of the gop and never hesitate to jump down the throat of anyone polluting the air with right-wing vomit. If any relatives or friends don't want to be questioned and embarrassed they just shut their yaps... they've realized by now that we're like a gang.

The few friends that I do have left on the dark side i've known since childhood. We've literally duked it out over the years and realize that we're stuck with each other for the rest of our lives so we might as well be mature about things. We still have the occasional squabble but always leave emotions out of it. I usually try to keep the discussion about family matters and sports teams that we share a common dislike of.

As a whole, I think republicans are pretty easy to deal with if you can identify something they love to hate that won't make you nauseous.

[Mike Daniels]

31. Just agree to disagree and poke good-natured fun from time to time

My in-laws are pretty moderate on social issues but are Republicans through and through economically when it comes to voting. Can't blame them either given their business.

It's not worth letting some petty political differences get in the way of friendships and relations.