General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSo, no Thanksgiving family horror stories?
Mine are mostly progressives, so, not a problem for me. How did everyone else do?
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liberal N proud
(61,089 posts)
nini
(16,777 posts)It doesn't bother me either.
Liberal In Texas
(15,028 posts)You know...they didn't need that socialistic health insurance. Mostly friends but some family. Didn't get checked when they should have, cause no insurance, and no dead.
The few left don't talk about it.
Texasgal
(17,210 posts)I had a great day even with people that are not like minded.
My late husbands family was more than gracious. We had a great meal and lots of laughter! No politics.
moriah
(8,312 posts)
MissB
(16,267 posts)No politics were discussed. Too many people at the table to really hold deep discussions.
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)about 40 people showed up and, amazingly enough, I didn't hear one word about politics.
lindysalsagal
(22,510 posts)
NRaleighLiberal
(61,032 posts)
cilla4progress
(26,267 posts)To avoid any talk of politics, though an invited friend contrasting Australia to New Zealand, stated NZ is far preferable because it was settled by Xtians.
Grace wasn’t too oppressive either.
Grassy Knoll
(10,118 posts)..And Read DU. Peace! 
benld74
(10,073 posts)Although near end, the talk on various men getting outted stuck out its head.
Sister stated she had liked O’ Reilly.
I bit my tongue 👅
Darn thing still hurts,,,,😎
Luciferous
(6,385 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)We got through a great, enjoyable feast and everyone was cordial, but just as we finished up the pie and coffee it was like a switch was thrown and it was Fox News was replaying around the dining room table.
Every lie, every slogan, every piece of misinformation and rightwing talking point was covered. Trump is a genius, poor people should be treated worse than their betters. Blacks are conniving moochers and welfare queens abound, and this came from my black BIL! Healthcare is a privilege for those who can buy it. SS and Medicare should be privatized and means testing is needed to cull out the unworthy. The illegals are taking all the jobs, the muslims are going to murder us all in our sleep, Sharia law is perverting the country.
I'm sitting here holding onto a teacup with some good bourbon, the handle helps because my hands are still shaking. I'm so dispirited and broken hearted I could weep.
marybourg
(13,305 posts)I was going to post that the cat and I didn't discuss politics at all, but now I don't feel like making a joke ; your story is that awful.
ChubbyStar
(3,191 posts)Bourbon sounds like a nice treat right now.
Iris
(16,305 posts)I don’t know what to say.
<hugs>
Doreen
(11,686 posts)My heart goes to you.
kimbutgar
(24,565 posts)I spent time with my first and second cousins on my late mother’s side. They are in their 30’s and early 40’s. We’re in our 60’s. My cousin’s husband parents are twitler supporters. They have 3 kids and 2 of them are anti twitler and the only daughter is pro twitler. The son my cousins husband thinks his parents have been brainwashed by watching fox. We had a great discussion bashing the cretin in the White House. One of the kids who was 9 said a bad word describing twitler and no one admonished him.
LeftInTX
(32,761 posts)My daughter stuffed it with candy from the pinata shop.
The candy was coated with that awful salt/chili/citrus powder. (That is something I do not understand)
Other than that it was a bunch of fun.
My granddaughter got a self driving car.
The food was really good.
It was a really good time.
We had a crowd of about 30 people.
TlalocW
(15,632 posts)The reason for that is Mom has been gone the last couple of holiday seasons so the first time, we decided to give the one sister and brother-in-law who always host the holiday affairs a break and keep it more in their immediate family. Then this year, the brother-in-law had a fight with cancer, and we figured they could use a quiet holiday again. Last two years, the sister that lives close to me and I have ordered dinner from a grocery store, gorged ourselves, and watched movies.
The interesting thing is though I'm incredibly political, I keep it to myself during family gatherings, and not because I'm often out-numbered, which I often am, and while the sister and bro-in-law who host us are incredibly conservative and religious, they don't start anything either. We eat, play games, some of them go outside and shoot clay pigeons, etc.
Though a few of the past holiday gatherings where we all got together, the husband of the brother-in-law's mom (she's widowed and remarried) tried to start something with me. He's an ultra-conservative, hyper-religious git. The kind that always has a smarmy smile on his face that doesn't quite reach his eyes. Both times he's come at me, I was dozing on a couch, and both times he made the mistake of broaching political topics that I knew quite a bit about - like actual numbers and percentages of things - so one year I basically gish-galloped him with actual facts, shot down some of the more common conservative arguments before he could make them, etc. After about 3 minutes of rapid talking, I raised my eyebrows to challenge him to bring anything else up, and he left me alone to my napping. The other time it was about abortion, and there's really no winning there so I asked why he felt the need to ruin the get-together bringing up divisive topics. He didn't appreciate that kind of question from a whippersnapper like me (I was in my late 30s/early 40s).
TlalocW
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)I was really surprised that a political argument broke out at dinner.
Half the family wants to impeach Trump.
The other half wants to lock him up.
It was brutal.
Sucha NastyWoman
(2,993 posts)For membership in your family?
Zorro
(17,025 posts)You could have suggested the family all agree on both impeaching and locking him up.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Doreen
(11,686 posts)
RainCaster
(12,357 posts)And he was very quiet. He's retired infantry (drove tanks) and I think he had been listening to those military leaders who think Trump is an ass. It's finally starting to soak in.
ChoppinBroccoli
(3,899 posts)My wife's family is all a bunch of RW Faux News lovers who know that my wife and I are always going to be the only liberals in the house. They usually try to steer clear of political talk, but some insist on bringing it up. I have learned over the years that the best way to handle things is to ignore it and/or change the subject.
Today the only foray into political talk was my wife's mom talking about how some local public school had to take all religious songs out of their Christmas concert because (and these are her words), "they didn't want to offend any Muslims at the school, even though Muslims don't have any music of their own." Then there was a brief discussion about some small town nearby that had to take down their nativity scene because "some group in California" wrote a letter demanding it be taken down.
Same old, tired "War on Christmas/War on Christians" crap I hear all the time (they're big religious nuts too), but it was over quick and easily ignored without too much eye-rolling.
gopiscrap
(24,300 posts)have a non liberal at mine
ChubbyStar
(3,191 posts)Big money, big asshole. Every holiday had to be at her big house with a bunch of her husband's RW family. It was just so painful I felt I couldn't breathe. They all knew I leaned very left and took glee in dropping cracks about "lefties deserve to be poor" and other very cruel comments. I don't even speak to her anymore, and it is much nicer.
lindysalsagal
(22,510 posts)Definitely to be avoided. That kind of poison will eat away at them, sooner or later.
Hekate
(96,788 posts)... I have ever known were Democrats, one in California, the other in Massachussetts. Neither could ever shut up long enough to let someone else talk, and one was hugely angry all the time.
I like to share ideas -- I just don't want to fight and have ill-will. Someone like Steve Schmidt or Nicolle Wallace -- I think either of them would be delightful to meet in a group setting.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)You don't allow people who aren't liberals into your house?
gopiscrap
(24,300 posts)
BigmanPigman
(52,699 posts)we discussed politics and I got people to call the Senate next week and told them how to use Zillow to get real addresses for the red states' congressional phone staffers. GOOD dinner and good conversations.
NBachers
(18,385 posts)BigmanPigman
(52,699 posts)I met someone at an anti-tRump rally and got the Zillow tip. It literally takes two minutes to get a valid address and zip code and I have called over 400 times since Feb and they NEVER have checked it out for verification. Spread the word!
dixiegrrrrl
(60,025 posts) 
0rganism
(24,908 posts)we watched Stargate on DVD after dinner
ornotna
(11,216 posts)Daughter, son and wife. Laid back, great home cooking and no drama. It was a good day.
RandySF
(72,777 posts)I won't be so lucky at Christmas. I remember two years ago watching two of my cousins-in-law debate whether to vote for Trump or Mike Huckabee.
pnwmom
(109,779 posts)
PoindexterOglethorpe
(27,526 posts)two are very close friends, and the other two are friends of theirs. I rather suspect they are politically liberal, but there was zero talk of politics. Which is as it should be.
Good food, some good wine, and good company.
Hekate
(96,788 posts)Last year he watched Trump's rise in disbelief, even said he'd move to Canada if that scum won. Well, BIL is still here, because leaving SoCal is hard -- but as my husband and his brothers are the children of Holocaust survivors, all of them are fairly clear-eyed when it comes to fascists, Nazis, and anti-Semites.
There was food and laughter, periodic agreement that Trump is horrifying, but no stress, many other things to talk about.
I am very thankful for these people.
pnwmom
(109,779 posts) 
DFW
(57,521 posts)Yesterday was not a holiday here. My younger daughter drove up with her boyfriend from Frankfurt. She is a solid Democrat and he is a like-minded German citizen, as is my wife. Our elder daughter was with our Dallas family with her boyfriend, and they are all Democrats. Tonight, we will have about 16 friends (plus the four of us already here) from Germany, Austria and Holland over. Not a Republican-friendly one among them.
ecstatic
(34,676 posts)With a room full of family watching on, I introduced my SO to a (first) cousin who I had not seen in quite some time. A much younger cousin, who's still in high school. Problem is, I introduced her with the completely wrong name, and of course the reaction (jeers) from onlookers was swift and immediate. But I couldn't correct the mistake because in that moment, I had no idea what her name was. I had literally merged her into someone else from my past, if that makes sense. And despite all the comments made in reaction to my gaffe, nobody gave the correct game to my SO.
Now that I'm back home, I'm even more frustrated with myself for not quickly and discreetly figuring out her name and apologizing. I'm thinking I need to send an apology email first thing in the morning but I don't know if that will make it even worse.
tavernier
(13,539 posts)is rarely discussed amongst family and friends in my circle, and NEVER in the presence of a meal. He has curdled milk and spoiled appetites in the past and just not invited to our table any longer. There were some snickers when the turkey came out of the oven with an orange-brown tint, but my daughter, who knew very well what we were thinking, gave us all the evil eye before anyone could drop the name and hex the bird.
Morris64
(78 posts)
GreenPartyVoter
(73,257 posts)FIL is an Evangelical minister, but we avoided talking politics or religion this year and focused instead on just enjoying each other's company. It was lovely!
I very much miss our large family gatherings from years past, but my grandparents, parents, and MIL are all gone now. 
However, in an age when we don't even sit at a table together to eat any more, I had a wonderful time just gazing at my two handsome boys!
Iggo
(48,742 posts)But I don't really care all that much.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)They're old. They won't be around all that much longer. We want our daughter to know her grandparents, but damn, they are nuts.
Codeine
(25,586 posts)who came together and enjoyed an enormous pile of food and some great board games while bitching about the state of the union.
lindysalsagal
(22,510 posts)So, they think gawd won. Like imposing their words on me was somehow going to shame me into believing the crap they will never prove.
Pathetic attempt at feeling superior. But if they actually did feel superior, they wouldn't need to bring me down...
Mariana
(15,443 posts)They just want to shove it in your face, and make you listen to it. If you had objected, you know you would have been painted as intolerant and hateful. It sounds like they knew it too, and took full advantage of that fact to make you feel as uncomfortable as they could. This kind of passive-aggressive fake-ass "prayer" that is intended to annoy non-Christians is pretty common.
Sneederbunk
(15,927 posts)ticked off Goldwater people.
Buckeye_Democrat
(15,177 posts)We didn't discuss politics.
My drama-queen niece, who is seven weeks pregnant, made herself the center of attention as always. She supposedly had a miscarriage in a toilet, but it didn't look right. The "thing" in the toilet wasn't the right size and shape of a 7-week-old embryo. It looked more like a small piece of turkey. I couldn't SAY what I was thinking, of course.
It gave my evangelical sister an excuse to pray about something.
The niece's husband shocked me when I overheard him tell a a sibling about winning a food contest. I thought, "Is he far more interesting than I imagined?! What's this about a restaurant? Is he planning to open a restaurant too?!" I asked him for details and discovered that he was describing some kind of restaurant game from Facebook! He showed me the virtual people milling around in his virtual restaurant and I politely nodded. Then I feigned interest in something else to get away from him.
Anyway, I declared "best wishes" to my niece before I left, hoping that it was "false alarm" (as I strongly suspected). She cried, "You should PRAY for me!" I replied, "Um, okay." So I ended my visit with a lie.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)putting the whole berry cranberry sauce on your turkey.
Buckeye_Democrat
(15,177 posts)It was a pretty enjoyable day with good food, actually, until my niece decided to take over with drama centered around her.
Maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt, but I've seen that behavior in the past.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)
orleans
(35,781 posts)we all think alike tho i tend to be the flaming liberal in the trio.
it was a very nice day.
she did all the cooking and dinner was great. 
mainer
(12,315 posts)No muss, no fuss, and a noisy restaurant so no one could hear anyone.
Plus, the restaurant's cranberry sauce is way better than mine.
Sancho
(9,122 posts)they are insufferable, and so we cooked here. Very pleasant holiday.
treestar
(82,383 posts)were not there, except my mother who is a liberal.
This was not really a great thing because they are not there due to illness/being in rehab. Still, it made for no right winger bringing anything up.
Xolodno
(6,892 posts)....this is the first time I made a "dry" turkey. Oh the horror!!!!
Oh we didn't talk much politics and when we did, we basically shat all over "him". And the greedy aunt, and evangelical GOP classic, whom we know is conspiring to screw us over...but can't because we caught on real fast to her scheme...and how the rest of the cousins have been slowly distancing themselves from her. I like to think I was the cause of that when I aired out a lot, but not all, of the dirty laundry on facebook. Long story short, all the cousins were happy I did so.
Otherwise, it was great....except for that damn dry turkey. I'm so ashamed......even the wife stated...well, nevermind.
Bettie
(18,020 posts)as his sisters and their husbands talked about how terrible renewable energy is and how there aren't enough cell towers.
Then they went into a rant about how they can't find good workers because all the white people have jobs and the rest refuse to work because they'd rather live in luxury on welfare.
There is no point in arguing with these people, though husband did ask if it would be better to have coal fired cell towers on each block...they did not get the joke, just said they don't care how they are powered, but they NEED full coverage everywhere.
I just can't even with this anymore.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I went to my friends Episcopal church and had dinner and no one spoke a word about politics. Today when I was with my friend I told her I had told someone they were being like trump and goons for how they were acting and the lady next to me got up and went to another table. I have no clue how she heard me as I was being careful so no one could hear and it was in the food court of the capital mall so you can imagine the Freaky Friday noise level. You should have seen the glare on her face. That was the only thing that happened that was political.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)Only one Republican came from the branch in Georgia. They knew better than to tangle with 22 other adults who disagreed with them.
mvd
(65,599 posts)Nice dinner and football watching with my parents. We are all Democrats and despise Trump.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)& her husband are pretty right wing, but she behaves herself and I don't think she's a true believer, but after he has a few drinks it starts to come out and his hatred for liberals starts to show. He is always nice to me, and is generally a nice guy, but we are both aware of each other's political views and try not to cause any friction, but I get the feeling that he resents having to keep his opinion to himself in his own home.
The only news that was on was Fox, of course, and he and my Dad watched that all weekend. My dad is a republican, but not the hateful type and his advice to me has always been to "vote my conscience". My mom is right-wing, but I don't think she even knows why.
My sister-in-law came down from Vermont w/ my niece and nephew (my brother had to work) and she is very republican, opinionated and NEVER SHUTS THE FUCK UP! Fortunately, I had my own room and could escape when they started to get into it. I knew I was outnumbered and there would be no point in trying to convince them of anything - because they know it all - so I just removed myself from the situation for my own sanity.
My liberal brother and his family stayed in Baltimore this year, and he is usually my ally but I wasn't about to go it alone without him.
One funny thing though - the right-wing sister-in-law lives in Burlington, VT and her 9 year old son has a huge crush on Bernie Sanders grandaughter Ella! 
