Can you be friends with people who chose not to vote?

Absolutely I'd still be friends with them, what kinda backwards ass thinking is that? As a Republican I am friendly with many of my Democratic leaning co-workers at work. My close childhood friend is a crazy Ocasio-Cortez backing Democrat and we get along just fine. She and I have both agreed that we won't talk anything politics and keep it moving. I don't get the mentality of this person is my enemy because they support a different party or don't vote.

Folks shouldn't live their lives like that. You'll make more enemies than friends and the diversity of opinion will be less and less and you become stunted. You don't grow as a person, you become sensitive to opposing views. I'm good. We can all disagree and still be friendly. None of you left leaning folks on here are taking food off my plate.

Helio said:

There was extremely obvious shit at stake, and yet people still didn't vote. Antagonizing someone over not voting isn't going to do anything. It's not going to get people out to vote in large enough numbers. It's not a winning tactic. It's better and easier to offer a candidate that people want to vote for.

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This isn't a thread about winning, it's about who you are okay being friends with.

Yep.

Seik said:

I will tell my friends to vote.

If they don't and aren't happy with the results, it's on them and they aren't even permitted to say jack shit against it. Vote to at least be unhappy about the results.

Breaking a relationship over it though, no way, I'm reaching 30 years in two months and all my friend are there since a long ass time. I'll tell them they're dumb shits if they didn't vote and that'll be all.

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That's about all you can do it about, really.

I've managed to get a few family members registered for midterms and beyond, because they've actually decided to do something about their dislike for Trump, unlike before. It shouldn't be this difficult to get them to finally fucking vote though.

Yes, I can.

Not everyone in here lives in America, you know.

Oheao said:

Did you read your previous post? Your issue with the Republicans is the platform that they run on. I also don't think you realize just how deep-seated racism, sexism, etc. is, voting someone in is not just going to fix everything. Also, non-Hispanic whites have a higher turnout rate than blacks, Hispanics and others, so you're turning away the very people you're claiming to be standing up for.

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Black people and Hispanic people ain't a monolith. There are plenty of politically active groups among them too.

Of course I could. But with the importance of November I'd be *really* dissapointed and I would never allow them to bitch about current affairs around me ever again.

If they vote GOP then no. We're through.

Goose Se7en said:

Absolutely I'd still be friends with them, what kinda backwards ass thinking is that? As a Republican I am friendly with many of my Democratic leaning co-workers at work.

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Why do you support Nazis?

Khanimus said:

Black people and Hispanic people ain't a monolith. There are plenty of politically active groups among them too.

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I didn't say that they were, but you know that the exact same applies to non-voters, right? They're not a monolith.

RedMercury said:

Why do you support Nazis?

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Goose Se7en is also his twitter handle, in case any of yall are curious...

Encourage them to vote because even though democDemo sometimes choose horrible candidates, the gop still worse

UltimateHigh said:

Goose Se7en is also his twitter handle, in case any of yall are curious...

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Petty af dude, I hide from no one btw.

Goose Se7en said:

Petty af dude, I hide from no one btw.

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bruh your twitter is hot fucking garbage, and you're on here talking about "growing as a person"...

Goose Se7en said:

Absolutely I'd still be friends with them, what kinda backwards ass thinking is that? As a Republican I am friendly with many of my Democratic leaning co-workers at work. My close childhood friend is a crazy Ocasio-Cortez backing Democrat and we get along just fine. She and I have both agreed that we won't talk anything politics and keep it moving. I don't get the mentality of this person is my enemy because they support a different party or don't vote.

Folks shouldn't live their lives like that. You'll make more enemies than friends and the diversity of opinion will be less and less and you become stunted. You don't grow as a person, you become sensitive to opposing views. I'm good. We can all disagree and still be friendly. None of you left leaning folks on here are taking food off my plate.

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Yeah I have Republican friends but I find myself wanting to hangout with them less and less these days because they can't help but say racist shit, or regurgitate Trump talking points, or Tucker talk, imagine that. I may not be as enlightened as some moderate that isn't talking politics anyway with these people, but I'm good not having that kind of vitriol in my life. Thanks though. Somehow I'll find myself less hateful with less hate, weird that.

I'm not sure how you'd manage to survive though with your friends talking about treating people with human decency, and livable wages, and healthcare for all. The horror.

I just throw shade at nonvoters and 3rd party voters.

Khanimus said:

This isn't a thread about winning, it's about who you are okay being friends with.

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The underlying problem is why they didn't vote. Unlikeable candidates or just laziness. Don't even have to bring up the question if we had candidates people wanted to vote for.

I don't even have friends. I don't have the luxury of picking and choosing. But I won't be friends with hateful people.

Of course I would. I'd sarcastically give em shit for complaining about the current state of politics but I wouldn't straight up cut em out my life lol

I think it (as always) very heavily depends on where that person lives how much I care about their voting or not. I don't think there's any "moral obligation" to vote if you live in a place where your vote doesn't matter. I live in NY, and you can be sure I didn't bother to vote for the presidential election. I still voted for local issues and things where my vote actually meant something, but no reason to vote for president. If my state ever even remotely comes close to electing anything but the Democratic candidate I'll vote, but until then it is irrelevant.

Now, my sister's friends in Pennsylvania who didn't vote because they really wanted Bernie and are now suffering through Trump, I have strong feelings about their poor decision making. But people in NY or Cali who say they don't vote, I understand.

It's incredibly dumb to stop being friends with those who didn't vote. They're the ones you want to vote for the Dems the next time and it'll be hard to do that by cutting them out of your lives. Do that, and they'll ascribe your actions to the entire party. Why vote the party that get all pissy when you don't vote, they'll ask themselves. Encourage them, but don't judge them.

Helio said:

Don't even have to bring up the question if we had candidates people wanted to vote for.

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Well, if you didn't want to vote for the machine and it's murderous established white person representative you really didn't have an option.

I would never stop being friends with someone who didn't vote. Since that's a choice and not an obligation.

I would probably give them a lot of shit but I wouldn't stop being friends with someone over it. Trump supporters, however, can GTFO. It's enough of a pain in the ass to deal with Trump supporting family members.

...... That's all my friends haha

rjinaz said:

Yeah I have Republican friends but I find myself wanting to hangout with them less and less these days because they can't help but say racist shit, or regurgitate Trump talking points, or Tucker talk, imagine that. I may not be as enlightened as some moderate that isn't talking politics anyway with these people, but I'm good not having that kind of vitriol in my life. Thanks though. Somehow I'll find myself less hateful with less hate, weird that.

I'm not sure how you'd manage to survive though with your friends talking about treating people with human decency, and livable wages, and healthcare for all. The horror.

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I live in NYC, the majority of my friends are left leaning and we get along just fine. The few friends that can't get past my conservative views, well we've agreed that we don't talk politics at all. We still spend time together and there is absolutely no animosity between us and I chalk that up to the familiarity between us over the years. We aren't suddenly going to hate each other and start yelling at each other or wailing out loud at me like a bunch of deranged individuals. I think it boils down to that. The world isn't ending, I'm good, I'm an Afro-Latino who isn't in fear, my rights are not being infringed upon. All gravy on my side.

But I hear you tho.

No. I didn't vote so it wouldn't make any sense.

I would only not be friends with someone who voted for Trump and still supports him. I have Facebook friends that are clearly Trump supporters though. I just read some of it and smh.

My best friend doesn't vote but that doesn't mean I can't be friends with him, I just give him shit about it.

House_Of_Lightning said:

Well, if you didn't want to vote for the machine and it's murderous established white person representative you really didn't have an option.

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Also true. That's why I can't judge people who don't want to participate in a clearly amoral and heartless system.

Goose Se7en said:

The world isn't ending, I'm good, I'm an Afro-Latino who isn't in fear, my rights are not being infringed upon. All gravy on my side.

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But you don't give a shit that innocent people including children are being put in cages and police are executing minorities for no reason because it doesn't effect you?

Thats a weird stance to possibly have.

Of course.

Goose Se7en said:

I live in NYC, the majority of my friends are left leaning and we get along just fine. The few friends that can't get past my conservative views, well we've agreed that we don't talk politics at all. We still spend time together and there is absolutely no animosity between us and I chalk that up to the familiarity between us over the years. We aren't suddenly going to hate each other and start yelling at each other or wailing out loud at me like a bunch of deranged individuals. I think it boils down to that. The world isn't ending, I'm good, I'm an Afro-Latino who isn't in fear, my rights are not being infringed upon. All gravy on my side.

But I hear you tho.

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ah

good old fuck you, got mine

Even if you dont care about the presidency there are lots of things to vote for on election day.

I'm not a psycho

Yes. One of my best friends didn't vote last election. We constantly complain about the state of the world together. I'm not there to chastise her about her inaction. Just because you forwent your voice yesterday doesn't mean you don't have that voice today or tomorrow.

Yeah because I live in NY and our Presidential vote doesn't matter.

Trump supporter though, no, can't fuck with them.

RedMercury said:

But you don't give a shit that innocent people including children are being put in cages and police are executing minorities for no reason because it doesn't effect you?

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Again.

Check his Twitter.

Save yourself the time from attempting to have a good-faith conversation with a dude who's out there retweeting Cernovich and James Woods, talking about making America as "uncomfortable and uninhospitable" to undocumented immigrants as possible.

UltimateHigh said:

Again.

Check his Twitter.

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I saw it but we aren't supposed to do off-site drama, he can defend his views here. If they want to put it out there unprompted that they are a Republican and that's what they support they can have a conversation about it in good faith, or else why throw it out there.

I've quoted him twice, they can respond eventually if they are interested in conversing in good faith.

Goose Se7en

One more just to make sure, I don't want them to say they missed it, if they want to spit on the face of many people on this forum they can explain why they are comfortable with that, and I promise to keep it civil.

I'm not that strict a person, but if I know my friend didn't vote, and decided to whine about anything related to politics or the government, you can be sure that I will be there to remind them that they didn't vote when it mattered.

I'm not an American, I don't even get real democracy here, but I still vote, for what little good it does. Which is why I don't like to hear people say they didn't/aren't vote/voting because "their vote doesn't matter" "I don't care about politics, but I wish the roads are better, educations better, etc".

You, those of you living in an actual democratic nation, still have the power to change things with your vote, please don't waste it.

Goose Se7en said:

I live in NYC, the majority of my friends are left leaning and we get along just fine. The few friends that can't get past my conservative views, well we've agreed that we don't talk politics at all. We still spend time together and there is absolutely no animosity between us and I chalk that up to the familiarity between us over the years. We aren't suddenly going to hate each other and start yelling at each other or wailing out loud at me like a bunch of deranged individuals. I think it boils down to that. The world isn't ending, I'm good, I'm an Afro-Latino who isn't in fear, my rights are not being infringed upon. All gravy on my side.

But I hear you tho.

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You know, just because you're living in a safe, content state of comfort, does not mean that other blacks and Latinos have the same privileges that you do.

RedMercury said:

I saw it but we aren't supposed to do off-site drama.

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Which is strange considering it gives you a much better idea about someone's actual beliefs, and not the cookie cutter front you see on ERA.

But hey, if that's the company this site wants to keep...

Of course. I'd even be forgiving of people who voted for Trump but now despise him and what he's done. People are allowed to make mistakes. That's not the same as being a full-on Trump supporter even after all the heinous shit he's done. Those people? Those are the ones you never talk to again.

DOT_mjo said:

Can't be friends with anybody who doesn't vote for the big D. If you don't vote or vote R, you are putting my life and many other lives at risk.

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That's a pretty high horse you're on. Watch out for nosebleeds.

Lets say I work two jobs and my car breaks down. What with scheduling repairs, the kids and chores, I couldn't get to the polls.

Or, say I am a single parent on welfare desperately looking for work and two of my three kids get sent home from school sick. I cant afford a sitter so I stay home with them and its election day.

I could go on, but the moral superiority evinced by many of the replies in here is repellant.

Next, someone is gonna tell me that they didn't mean people in these kinda situations. Well we surely do appreciate the special dispensation. Thanks much.

RedMercury said:

I saw it but we aren't supposed to do off-site drama, he can defend his views here. If they want to put it out there unprompted that they are a Republican and that's what they support they can have a conversation about it in good faith, or else why throw it out there.

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Because his actual views are ripped straight out of Breitbart and the like, which of course would (should) make for an automatic ban when the defense of the indefensible kicks in... It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

I've been friends with a guy I've known for over 20 years since childhood and we are complete opposites of the political spectrum. I don't think his support for Trump has dwindled one bit.

imagine disqualifying someone as a potential friend because they didn't vote, good lord

samoscratch said:

We can be friends, but if you complain about the political situation I will quickly remind you that you don't have the right to do that since you don't participate.

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This. I'll call them out on their complaints because it's a direct result of their inaction.

Goose Se7en said:

Petty af dude, I hide from no one btw.

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damn you are one hella racist piece of shit. 3/10 attempt on the transparent "oo im just a lil ole poor republican with leftie friends" shtick.

also yeah fuck off

I'm friends with Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians and people who don't vote. If someone is determined to turn politics into a pissing match and try to high horse a friendship, or feel their opinion is superior they can (not) enjoy living a lonely life b/c nobody wants to be around that kind of person.

Nobody wants to be friends with a toxic person, irregardless of political affiliation or least of all what they think lol.

My Ex girlfriend didn't give a shit about voting and didn't care about the outcomes. Shit fucking blew me at the audacity and lack on accountability. Like I really couldn't believe her. She also denounced the U.S. a lot and said it's "not her country" because her culture and family is from Haiti, but fuck that, you were born in America, and you not voting, especially as a black person (which she also didn't consider herself but that's a whole nother can of worms) your votes, especially local directly effect you and your peoples.

I dont think ive ever had a discussion about politics with my friends