How do you deal with politically ignorant friends?

[Swede]

My cousin thinks it's ok for Canada to follow Bush right now.

[KyndCulture]

1. I've become so jaded, I rarely speak to anyone.. .

that isn't up on current politics... I just find them to be an ostrich with their head up their ass instead of in the sand.

[Floogeldy]

2. Slowly and patiently . . .

. . . in the hopes that I might educate them. :)

[movonne]

3. It irritates me...I do not try and explain to any right wingers and dolts

about what is going on...I find most have their heads in cement, they either think you are crazy (right wingers) or they just do not want to talk about whats going on (dolts)...

[TahitiNut]

4. "politically ignorant friends"? Oxymoron.

:shrug: I don't suffer fools gladly.

[bedpanartist]

5. I show them pictures of my artwork

and challenge them to armwrestle!

[Betsy Ross]

6. Got more artwork online? n/t

[bedpanartist]

14. Sho' Nuff!

http://www.bedpanart.com

[applegrove]

7. If you get where they are coming from. And get with who they are.

You try and move em to where you are. I once had a friend who picked up expression "half breed" from her cousins. And used it inappropriately. Turns out... it was something "the human stain" her cousins had tried to hide in their own lives. And were traumatized by. Projection. She picked up on. And she was the loveliest person I ever knew. And taught me so much about myself I never new before. I had my own family shit to deal with (too much in the way of demanded behaviour.. too little in basic understanding of human emotions that might make that good behaviour really meaningful and useful). So who the hell was I to judge her on that. We both had some learning to do. We both did.

Stories like this are often stories of real people. I'm not perfect. I don't expect anyone else to be. And I push and then I don't. And if they are good friends.. like she was..they'll encourage you to grow too.

[Jazz2006]

8. Well, since it's your cousin,

and you can't choose your family members, I would suggest talking to him or her calmly on an issue by issue basis. Once you calmly and rationally explain one issue in simple terms to someone who is generally politically clueless, sometimes it sparks in them an interest in political things.

And even if it doesn't, at least you have educated the person on at least one issue.

If the cousin just "doesn't want to hear it", there is really little you can do about it, but calm and rational explanations have a way of sinking in eventually.

In any event, I wouldn't let it ruin your familial relationship.

[LibDemAlways]

9. I inject the truth whenever I find an opening. Problem is

most people who are politically ignorant are willfully politically ignorant. I spent part of last weekend with some people who are well to do repukes - met them through my daughter. They reflexively vote "R" because they're rich and want to hang on to their money, but they actually know next to nothing about what's going on in the world, and, sadly, they don't care. The wife cheerfully admitted that she only follows "entertainment" news, and the husband added he thinks that's typical. Very sad state of affairs.

[NNN0LHI]

10. I listen very patiently to their entire spiel and after they are finished

...I change the subject and begin talking about something entirely different. Most of the time they completely forget about whatever Fox news propaganda they had been talking about to begin with. Works like a charm.

Don

[Ringo84]

11. Swede

Illustrate what they have to lose if they remain ignorant: freedom.
Ringo

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. I've found it worthless

unless they bring up a political issue. Then I address their specific concern; experience has taught me that going beyond their limited attention is counter productive.

[Raine]

13. I don't have any...

people who are bush-bots I have no respect for and I can't be friends with someone I can't respect. With my repuke relatives, they know how I feel. We have all agreed to disagree and keep our political opinions to ourselves. I still love em even though they are stupid.

[LostinVA]

15. I don't have any -- seriously

I broke it off with several friends during the lunacy of 2000-2003 or so. Life is too short to antagonize myself by associating with Freeper wannabees.

(differences are one thing, cognitive dissonance and willful ignorance are another...)