But I have the luxury of being in a liberal area of a liberal state, being a big cishet white guy, and having my circle of friends being in general agreement with me.

If it's just the neighbor who put up a Trump sign, that's meh. If they are someone who turns everything into a political debate, I wouldn't want to be around that. Likewise I gave up talking to my biodad 20+ years ago (not over politics) so I can't say there aren't good reasons to cut people out permanently.

That said, I'm not going to the neighbor's to watch anything because I don't really do people.

And there’s no choice about where they sit.

If I see Obama willingly watching the Super Bowl with Trump at Mar a lago, yes you may have a point.

....Obama was showing to respect Carter, not trump.

I may shoot myself in the head.

I understand that a certain protocol is expected of everyone in the universe, except for Trump, so I won't criticize Obama for not making a scene. But there is a very fine line between showing the obligatory civility and being an all-out enabler.

And no, I am not going to socialize with MAGA people any time I can avoid it.

I’m cordial to the Trumpster sitting next to me at the doctor’s office or standing next to me in line at the grocery store. Hanging out with them on purpose? No way in hell.

Yuck.

a minor stroke and wake up after a Dicken’s Scrooge nightmare promising to repent for the good of all men. OK, I’ve had a few.

...the decorum of Jimmy Carter's funeral... Other than that, all bets are off. ALL bets.

He's also a better man than I am.

And no, I can't.

Michelle didn't want to set next to a rapist. She is not an ex-president. She has no obligation.

I just can't stomach the bigotry from my MAGA relatives anymore.

Sorry. I guess I suck.

Trumpsters are toxic. I’m under no social obligation to treat them like normal people, thereby normalizing their catastrophically hideous political views.

To Hell with them all.

I lost respect for Obama for sitting next to the pile of shit and having a good laugh. It is what it is.

If I were FORCED to sit beside him, I would have been as cordial as if I were sitting next to a 3 week old, putrefied corpse. He would have felt my utter disdain for his inhumane self.

I have one MAGA adjacent friend and I can only take him in tiny bits. We go for stretches not speaking. I don't care to constantly listen to his bigoted rants about immigrants and trans folks.

And I just heard a reporter say that trump was the one that kept trying to start a conversation with Obama. Obama was being cordial. None of the other former presidents wanted to speak to Chump.

to kill my daughter by taking the health insurance she can't survive without away from her
to criminalize and permit state terrorism against my trans friends
to end my marriage by reversing the impact of Obergefell

No one should be shamed for putting their own own emotional health first by staying away from those who handed him the gun.

I was silent on facebook (where I have a mixture of friends - including some MAGA friends) for quite a while after the election. But that was not sitting well with me. After a few days I came up with a way I thought said what needed to be said about how I was feeling, without being in-your-face offensive to people with whom I've had productive conversations in the past.

Part of the rest of the post (directed to them, specifically) was that they are gonna have to give me a minute before I'm ready to play nicely in the sandbox with them again.

He’s used to dealing with odious people. We need to have values and stand behind them, it is not okay to hate people because of color, gender, age or place of birth. If we don’t stand up for our brothers and sisters we will truly be like them. They are cowards and bullies we must fight back with everything we can , as long as it’s legal and I believe shunning is a part of that arsenal. Please stop bringing up what would Obama do? It’s disheartening sort of like the misrepresentation of the I have a dream speech.

is expected and appropriate. Doing emotional work for others is part of the package, even if those others are assholes.

But watching a football game is recreation, and therefore is about the watcher, so the watcher's enjoyment takes priority. Doing emotional work for assholes is not required, as it would defeat the purpose of recreation.

Obama and Trump are not friends.

There is no reason or purpose to be friends with any Republican voter. They are deadly toxic poison.

You can socialize with whoever you wish.

so everyone else could snub the smelly one...a la George W and Laura.

Woohoo.

I don’t blame her one bit for bowing out.

It’s interesting the OP isn’t noting that Michelle elected to skip even this much interaction with Traitor.

No way the Obamas would go to MAL to watch a football game with him. The very notion is ridiculous 🙄

He had to be there and he can't exactly start an argument etc. Everyone else ignored orange psycho from what I heard.

Re: my neighbors sadly are nutso and have not really spoken to one side for years after crap they pulled. The others are recent and are crazy, lots of crazy crap they put us through already. I was good friends with the former owner for many years, and never had any issues, who was dem. On the other side in the past was an R family and they were very nice, but that was MANY years ago when R were not for the most part crazy, things have changed a lot obviously. Their daughter used to baby sit us sometimes.

These scoldings are getting really irritating

🙄

If he had a choice of watching a ballgame with that one on his day off…no way! He will always appear cordial but that doesn’t mean he’s enjoying it! It’s business.

I am not nearly as good a person as Barack Obama. Not even in the same ballpark...

What did Obama do to him?

... during a solemn funeral service and Obama answered explaining to the Turd that his penis really is larger than Arnold Palmer's -- a response which genuinely impressed the small hands Turd.

The orange blobfather is deranged. There is no compromise with traitors who encouraged a violent insurrection. No compromise.

Being cordial at a funeral is one thing. Sharing time or hobbies or interests with anyone who voted for what’s about to come down upon us? Fuck no. Never. After we saw what happened on 1/6/21 and knowing full well their agenda, got to be kidding. I’ll never be a good German.

If you want to further empower the forces of evil in this country with a display of good manners, I can't stop you. But I will be Goddamned if I'll go along with it. Examine the last few decades and see how effective polite Democratic behavior has been in preventing the rise of fascist ill will in this country. At this point we either confront the forces of Trumpian destruction, or we just sit around, waiting for the concentration camps to be built.

I don't associate with fascists.

I don't associate with people who think white men should rule the world.

I don't associate with people who treat women like 2nd class citizens and voted to take away their rights to bodily autonomy.

I don't associate with theocrats.

I don't associate with people who lie 99% of the time.

I don't associate with people who think it is fine to cheat to win elections.

I don't associate with people who think it is fine to over throw the government when losing an election.

I don't associate with people who want their political opponents killed.

After watching what is happening in this country it is crystal clear how Hitler came to power.

I always wondered, but I don't wonder anymore.

It's about the survival of our democracy and the ecosystems of this planet, which support life itself.

It's about basic human decency, rights, justice, and the rule of law.

It's about truth versus lies, and generations of progress versus the hoarding of wealth and power by oligarchs at the top.

Having said all that ...

We can never reclaim America's highest ideals and save our country while its people are bitterly divided.

What oligarchs and truly evil men like Trump and Musk need, and constantly foster, is divisive hatred and contempt. They want American citizens at each others throats instead of working together for our own best interests.

How do they do it? With a growing network of "news" outlets and social media spreading a constant stream of disinformation triggering emotional responses, not rational thought.

Trump won because millions of ordinary Americans have been fed constant lies, big and small. This is not to say that truly vile racists and misogynists don't inhabit the USA, but chances are the Trump voter next door is a decent fellow who loves his wife, kids, and dog. He and you and I are all in the same boat economically, breathing the same air and depending on the life sustaining natural bounty of Earth.

In all things, try to be kind. Gentle persuasion is better than accusation.

This is not to say surrender to fascism. I'm saying that fascism thrives when The People are bitterly divided.

Abraham Lincoln in his first inauguration appealed to the better angels of our nature. After four years of a cataclysmic civil war, he proclaimed malice towards none and charity for all.

He also said A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Truer words were never spoken.

Pres Obama could have been scorching trump with a smile on his face. And trump doesn't smile so we all know there was some acting involved.

I don't care to socialize with people who support a convicted felon who referred to me as "vermin."

Obama is making nice at a man's funeral.

That's different from voluntarily socializing with a fucking MAGAt.

No. NO. NOPEITY NOPE NOPE!

Fuck that shit, I'm not going to play nice with people who hate me and wish harm on me. FUCK. THAT. BULLSHIT. And fuck righteous lectures. If Obama or any wealthy person wants to give me 20 million dollars I'll yuck it up with that orange fuck for 5 minutes at a funeral too.

I walked out of my brothers funeral because the fucking preacher pissed me off with his holy roller bullshit sermon. No regrets there either.

doesn't make much sense to me.

I associate with like-minded people. That's my choice.

My choice is based on my life history, and my preferences.

You, of course, are free to associate with whomever you wish.

I would not presume to tell you who to associate with.

For example:

My view, which is widely held, is that Trump fumbled the pandemic response, because he is evil and incompetent.

The Covid pandemic killed my brother.

Trump's evilness and incompetence was on display for every voter to see before he was elected. His response to a world-wide emergency could have been easily predicted by anyone who cared to recognize his personality traits.

Therefore, Trump voters killed my brother.

That's my logic. And this logic extends to thousands other examples of his buffoonery.

Therefore, I choose not to associate with Trumpers.

Your world view may be different.

“Going along to get along.” I can’t afford it.

That’s precisely how we ended up where we are. YMMV.

other people, but it's OK to scold people for choosing to consider the dismissive and disrespectful political views of others when deciding on who to associate with?

IOW - It's wrong to judge MAGA for their hateful and cruel political views because the people doing the judging are the ones that "raises questions about" their own person?

It's not the hate-filled political views that are the issue? It's choosing not to be around those hate-filled political views that is the issue?

As a woman, if I choose not to associate with people who support policies and laws that harm, even kill women, then that raises questions about me - and not the people who are OK with women dying?

Alrighty then.

Nothing the least bit righteous, or self-righteous, about that at all.

No siree Bob.

Obama was acting acting respectfully to the Carter family, not to donald trump.

I'm tired of angry stupid people. I got too few minutes of life, and wasting any with horrible people is a waste.

Let them jerk off to MAGA hate porn like Joe Rogan sad and alone in the hell they built for themselves. Plenty of good people to hang out with.

I thought the goal was to not be a jerk.

Is it really less "jerk"-like to coddle people who a) actively want to harm people like LGBT folks, or who b) don't want to harm them, but also will allow them to be harmed if it means an extra $20 in their pocket?

Trump support is like having dog crap on your feet, or really bad BO. There is an aura about you of something distasteful. Like being an ex-con. I have to live near my neighbors, I absolutely do not have to invite them to watch a football game.

without being a jerk.

Yes, they'll figure out eventually that you have a reason for not spending time with them, but frankly, it will take them a long time to work it out.

Anyone should be able to behave reasonably at a public function. There is a big difference between that and a person taking shit from MAGAs personally and frequently out of fear of THEM looking bad. As far as acquaintances, I can be nice to people as long as they are nice to me. No one should take bullying in their personal life, of course the bully is going to complain, it's what bullies do.

Doesn't mean I will. Plus this was for a function. I saw that Michelle wasn't there. These fascists down here can kiss my brown ass.

When someone posts something egregiously stupid, I always check their journal to see if they ever provide useful information.

If not, well, I make my decisions. I come here mostly for the news aggregation.

Thanks for the tip

I'll be polite.

But, I can choose who I spend my leisure time with and I choose to spend it with people who share similar values.

MAGAts do not share the same values I do, so I avoid them.

Maintaining a relationship is just as harmful to everyone involved and actually more harmful to you. In the Trump era we aren't dealing with normal politics. maga cult members are already attacking you for your beliefs just by supporting such a dirt even if they wont acknowledge it or point the finger at you directly. If you want to have years knocked of your life trying to maintain relationships with maga cult members go right ahead, but the Obama thing is a total false equivalency as others have pointed out.

Sure, I could, but I don't want to.

or their supporters. Nor do I rationalize normalizing them.

Problem solved.

Seriously?

And just who is it that is issuing the righteous lectures here and telling others what to do?

People have good reason to steer clear of MAGA cultists, just as they would any cultist or abuser. Who are you to tell people to make nice with abusers?

MAGA = abuse. That is all that it is. How any one could still be confused about that is a mystery to me.

Of course President Obama was cordial. They aren't at a tailgate.

The other thing's narcissistic psychopathy and zero self awareness prevents him from acknowledging he's been a racist asshole and pig toward President Obama and it couldn't possibly care less.

People do what they have to to protect their mental and emotional well being and don't require needless shaming.

"The problem is that cutting people off because of their political views raises questions about the people doing it, rather than their acquaintances."

I don't see that as a problem.

He acted like an adult. I see no reason he or I should spend hours with someone who is in favor of separating infants from their parents, some permanently.

MAGAts need to learn their attitudes and behavior are repugnant to most people.

I take exception with what you say. These folks voted for someone who is a serial sexual assaulter. This makes me and many other women (and some men) feel unsafe in our country.

Would you ask me to find someone in jail who was put there because he raped women? Knowing I survived a sexual assault? Would you ask me to reach out to their family and friends who support him?

How about everyone who was ever convicted of treason? Should we reach out to them as well? If not, why not? That is a special kind of feeling unsafe in our country - folks giving away or mishandling our top secrets.

I could go on but do not have the spoons. If it would be offensive to ask a sexual assault survivor to be friends with people who condone rape, why would it be any different for good, honest folk who would support them?

This is decades later and you I still have the after effects of that assault. You have no idea what I go through, or you would not ask that. Are you also asking we not offend the other side by keeping the baby if we are fucking raped?!?! I mean, I have to know how far you think is reasonable to appease them. Shall we hold their hands and tell them they were right about abortion while we watch a fucking woman bleeding out in the fucking parking lot?

One of the things wrong with this fucking country is we have coddled them. The way we keep norms in society is by letting them know what is not acceptable and keeping them in line.

Do you know why they love him? Because he wants to hurt us and own us. Think about that. Even if they are hurt, they are happy because we are. They want us to hurt. These people want us to bend over, with no lube, and you want us to say, “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”

I seriously have to know and I will chase you around this forum until I get an answer, are you seriously asking an assault survivor and someone with diagnosed PTSD, to make nice with someone who would do her harm in any way they can? I need to know if you just did not think this through or if you are a troll. So, did you think through the damage you suggested many of us inflict upon ourselves? I am waiting for an answer. Tomorrow I will start following you and ask until you answer if you thought your fucking proposal through.

I am unwilling to avoid talking about politics and about the national crisis, not for a football game, not for anything. I am unwilling to be silent. I am unwilling to overlook abuse. I am unwilling to overlook the fact that someone supports Trump and MAGA. I am unwilling to normalize fascism. I am unwilling to entertain MAGA talking points as though they were legitimate political opinions. I am unwilling to disappear the victims of abuse. I am unwilling to engage in "business as usual" while the planet burns and an authoritarian nightmare unfolds.

Which of those stands would you recommend that I abandon?

How do you propose one could make nice with MAGA supporters without abandoning those stands?

A football game. SMH

Why are you answering for them? I am unwilling, too, to overlook it. I refuse to interact with them because I will not overlook it or brush it away. You and I are in agreement. But the OP feels we should forgive such things and break bread with these rapist suppirters.

I keep posting in the wrong spots. Sorry.

I thought that might be the case. Have a good evening.

Kicking so that perhaps they’ll respond

Let’s see if they’ll respond to you

...Michelle Obama sees it differently.

...while posting one.
Awfully presumptuous.

All these right-wingers feeling "attacked" now never said 'boo' when their politicians and influencers were actually talking about having liberals SHOT or rounded up and put into camps---- now they're having a sad because some liberals don't want to watch football or have Thanksgiving dinner with them???

FUCK THAT NOISE! Sorry.
On top of which, I am disgusted by that picture.

about what a mistake that was for Roosevelt.

I am unwilling to avoid talking about politics and about the national crisis, not for a football game, not for anything. I am unwilling to be silent. I am unwilling to overlook abuse. I am unwilling to overlook the fact that someone supports Trump and MAGA. I am unwilling to normalize fascism. I am unwilling to entertain MAGA talking points as though they were legitimate political opinions. I am unwilling to disappear the victims of abuse. I am unwilling to engage in "business as usual" while the planet burns and an authoritarian nightmare unfolds.

Which of those stands would you recommend that I abandon?

How do you propose one could make nice with MAGA supporters without abandoning those stands?

Re-posted in the proper location this time (I hope.)

Some people clearly just like to be angry.

It's why I told my neighbor I was going to wait a couple years.

That doesn't mean that I wouldn't give him a jump if his battery died, help push his car out of the snow, or say "hello" if we were both at the same funeral.

Everything Donnie Dipshi has said. Everything he ran on, and the basket of deplorable he has nominated to fill his cabinet and run major government and non-government departments, indicate that he is creating a fascist police state.

Forgive me for not wanting to break bread with someone who voted for that.

The Nazi Donnie Dipshit appointed as border tzar, has promised to bring back the Fugitive Slave Act, only this time, with cellphones and social media to report our neighbors to the "Alien Hotline".

If I want to be a complete dick, I'll call the "hotline" every week my neighbors landscapers show up to do his lawn.

I am a big man. If we DON'T descend into fascism, I will gladly admit I was wrong.

I am a parent of someone in the LGBT community. The MAGAs have plans to destroy my child's basic human rights and erase her from society.

Forgive me for not wanting to eat chicken wings with my neighbor until I find out if they are successful in their plan.

My neighbors are all lovely, and I don't think there's a MAGAt in the lot. But, I fucking hate football. I don't even watch it by myself. I'm so happy that the season is almost over, and I don't have to constantly hear about it any more.

Thread after thread bragging about disowning relatives, ending life long friendships, telling neighbors to stay on their own side of the fence. Most of the replies agreeing and telling their own tales of doing the same.

If all of these posts are true, those posting just need that bubble. It’s easier going through life without any disagreements. It’s also really easy to live that way when you’re in a deep blue area.

The reasoning I usually hear from those who have isolated themselves from everyone they disagree with is something like - he or she voted for fascism, I refuse to talk to them. They voted to bring down the cost of eggs. Is he going to do that? Of course not. This election SHOULD have been about the booming economy. It wasn’t. I never saw ONE ad with VP Harris talking about the booming economy.

The next four years are going to be tough on the country. I just hope the isolation that’s happening doesn’t make it worse.

That well over half of the people who are bragging about things like that are lying. Keyboard warrior, just saying stuff to get positive attention from other keyboard warriors

Their values, their behavior, why would anyone want to hang out with one? It's a known fact that most young women won't date one.

But I'm curious as to where you set your bar. Name 10 Republicans in Congress that you would date.

I wouldnt date anyone in congress

Screw them all, every single MAGA that voted for that evil Jeebus, no matter how much they may regret it, now and in the future. They deserve everything that's coming, and they'll just have to suffer along with us, the people they sentenced to go through this.

Fuck that.

In the event that I'm forced by a seating chart to sit next to a MAGA, in a situation where millions of people are observing me on TV, I will make the appropriate gestures, speak if there is a reason, and whatever else dignity requires of me.

In fact, I might even be able to do better than President Obama, because I heard him described as "rolling his eyes" and looking extremely stiff and uncomfortable. I wouldn't roll my eyes and I think I could look comfortable.

I don’t think he could bring himself to be mean to Trump or anyone else, and a funeral is not the appropriate place for getting in a…well, discussion…with Trump anyway.

That having been said, there’s too much danger of a MAGAt contaminating your food to watch football with him.

Would you invite him over to your home to watch a game?