[Fauxreal]

I'm just wondering if it is possible to have a calm discussion with someone about current political issues in the United States.

I'M NOT SAYING WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A POLITICAL DEBATE HERE!!! Maybe later after the election is over, we can all sit down with some coffee and chat.

But what I really want to know is, why can't I sit down with my friends and talk with them about what is going on? Even people who call themselves my best friends will not talk with me about why they like a candidate or why they believe in a certain aspect of the campaign. Why can no one listen to anyone else with an open mind?

[Coda]

It's completely possible, but generally only with centrists/moderates and some breeds of intellectuals. I'm all of the above, so I'm perfectly capable of holding a political discussion without losing my calm -- plus, I'm trained to be able to retain my objectivity, so I could even explain all of the relevant opinions without expressing value judgments if I wanted to do so.

[Fauxreal]

You are trained? May I ask in what? Specifically.

[Coda]

Mediation, debate, and report-writing. I don't have any formal training in mediation, but I've had various role models who have mentored me growing up on how to deal with conflicts and how to help someone even when you disagree. I do have formal training in debate and report-writing; in debate, one of the best things you can do to learn objectivity is to be required to defend the viewpoint you yourself don't hold, and when writing reports your job is to analyze the facts objectively.

The key to going beyond having these as academic skills is to realize that they're not just academic skills, and the objectivity you learn from these exercises can be applied to interpersonal skills as well as academic tasks.

Unfortunately, taking that step requires being able to ignore your own beliefs temporarily in order to understand the opposing viewpoint. This kind of ego suppression isn't something a lot of people are able to do, and the more important a topic is to someone, the harder it is to deny the ego.

[Dawn]

Personally I'm not into politics so I tend not to discuss that topic.. -and cause I'm living overseas at the moment, I have dual nationality between the UK and America- I don't even know what's going on in the debate so I am very limited on my view but if someone wants to discuss it, I am open to do it without being prejudiced toward one candidate or another.

[Alpha]

I wouldn't mind having a bit of a calm discussion about politics on here if someone were to bring it up. I've been known to get energetic, but certainly am willing to listen to viewpoints that oppose my own or are even just something that I had not considered.

[Fauxreal]

I've just heard of so many people - having friendships destroyed because of of bunch of froogy old guy in Washington.

[Echo-chan713]

I don't talk about politics because its all controversial and people do get easily offended on some topics and who would be better as well as here where not all of the trisphee users are from america so they would be talking about politics in a whole different country.

I would get confused XP

[Darth Vader]

I pretty much have an open mind with anything, especially politics. Like, while I may have a huge opposition with most or all of Mitt Romney's/Paul Ryan's positions on social issues, I'd still be able to stay completely calm discussing any sort of those issues, as well as any fiscal concerns or whatever. I'm not the type of person to bitch you out because you like a particular candidate or anything like that.

I actually like political debates, as long as it doesn't get too in-depth or anything like that.

[Belial]

I'm pretty boring to talk about politics with, I pretty much state who I like and can't think of anything else afterward.

But the majority of people I meet seem to expect you to defend why you like so and so, then proceed to tell you in so many ways why you are wrong if you happen to like someone they don't. My mothers friend actually ended the friendship because of politics, I felt that was a teeny bit extreme but that is generally how it is viewed in my eyes.

It's kind of like a Black Friday sale but you don't get any items.

[Umaeril]

I have a friend with whom I disagree very much on politics so we just don't talk about it. At all. But we have never gotten mad at each other for holding different views. I see her point and I disagree and she does not see my point since I don't state it much.

I think that some people really feel these things in their gut or something visceral.

[Promise]

I know how you feel, my father likes Mitt Romney and just absolutely hates that I supported Obama.
I can talk about everything calmly, though. Me and my friends have a lot :P

[Fauxreal]

I have a suspicion my differently political viewed friend blocked me on facebook because of my views... oi.

[Belial]

Faux, it is sad when people let that get in the way of a friendship. Politics and possessions should never be more important than that.

[Coda]

My brother and I don't agree politically, but I'm thankful to say we can still have civil discourse on the matter.

[Fauxreal]

I wish she saw things that way. I actually saved her life once. She tried to commit suicide and I found her and saved her. Now she has two lovely boys and a loving husband.