Politics Getting too…Political? THREE Steps to keeping friends during this election season

“Picking the right candidate is like trying to find the cleanest piece of poo in the backyard.”

Sound about right?  Most folks are not entirely happy with any candidate from either party.  No human is perfect and it seems like the candidates are going out of their way to prove that to all of us.  Over and over.  It’s working, BTW.

Political talk is exciting, frustrating, and maddening, especially with someone you assumed shared your political opinions.  It’s very easy in this supercharged political season to say stupid things you can’t take back.  A word of advice:  It is never worth losing a friend over politics.  The election eventually will be over and life will go on-no matter who gets to sit in the big chair.

How can you keep your sanity as well as your friends during this time?  Here are five steps:

1) Keep your opinions to yourself.  You aren’t changing your opinion based on what your friend says, and you aren’t changing their mind either.  There is no good that can come of arguing back and forth when you know nothing will change!  If you want the satisfaction of telling someone off, talk to a spot on the living room wall and punch a sofa pillow.  Preferably with the blinds closed.

2) Don’t go down the media rat hole for hours each day.  Remember GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out.  Don’t fill your head with the garbage that is called news now.  There is a spin on everything from everyone including media folks depending on their political leanings.  The networks allow this because they get ratings when people get angry at each other, start online fights and thereby create more “news” stories.  It’s make believe, not reality.  Don’t go there.

3) When a friend brings up politics, just change the subject.  if they continue, just say:

“Let’s agree to disagree on this.  We aren’t going to change each other’s minds and I would rather keep you as a friend.”

That phrase usually will shut down an argument but if they still persist…just walk away.  Excuse yourself and go to the bathroom, walk outside for some air, go freshen up your drink, you get the idea.  I guarantee when you come back your friend will be talking politics with someone else and when the election is over, you will still have the friendship.

At the end of it all, politics is, political.  Urban Dictionary defines ‘political’ as:

“An adjective used to describe actions or statements which are self serving.  Political works typically involve half truths (such as statistics), hidden motives, deceptiveness, faked integrity or sincerity, or false advertising via exaggeration.”

Sounds familiar?  Yep.