<p>In my mixed marriage, we’re both very political and were on the same side for nearly 20 years. Now that we’re on opposite sides, we don’t talk politics at all since it gets ugly after about 30 seconds, but we see eye-to-eye on things that other couples have problems with. We both have our own political activities, and it helps a lot that our kids agree with me.</p>
<p>Would I marry him if we met today? No way, we wouldn’t even be friends.</p>
<p>ETA: I read an article that said that in mixed marriages, kids often are on the same side as their mothers. The argument was that wasn’t too surprising since the youth and women voters tend to favor the same side.</p>
<p>Maybe my husband has the right idea - tomorrow afternoon, he’s heading up to our cabin in a remote part of Maine. No electricity. No TV reports!</p>
<p>Heard a funny story on the radio: An early voter wearing a sweatshirt from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was almost turned away for appearing to be electioneering in a polling place. ha.</p>
<p>My SO and I are different registered parties (but we’re both voting for the same person this time around). He considers himself a moderate and I am far left. I can do mixed marriages to an extent. There are a few fundamental issues where I just could never, ever be in a relationship with someone who disagrees with me. The two big ones for me are abortion and marriage equality. If you’re against either of those, then we just have two completely different sets of values that are not compatible. I could be friends with you, but I’d just never want to raise kids with you. </p>
<p>OTOH, there are issues that don’t bother me if you disagree. Immigration, educational reform, hard drug legalization, etc. My SO and I disagree on many issues, but he’s politically pretty apathetic so it works. He does however support right to choose and right to marriage equality. </p>
<p>My parents have voted for different candidates quite a few times but they agree on a few fundamental issues. They’re both pro-choice, but they different for a long time on marriage equality for example. My mom was for it, dad against. When my best friend came out, he finally came around and sided with my mom and I. </p>
<p>I have a lot of respect for people who can make it work if they’re on radically different sides of the aisle. More power to you. I just can’t image it though! I’m too stubborn lol.</p>
<p>ML- Your H has more self control than I could ever have. Good luck to him!!! lol</p>
<p>Depends on which part of NYC. The Ds would probably have much more of a problem in areas like the many parts of Manhattan, Bronx, Williamsburg, Astoria, Brooklyn Heights/Dumbo, etc. </p>
<p>However, this is offset by the fact other areas with heavy concentrations of conservatives such as Bayside<em>, parts of Eastern Queens close to the LI border, parts of Southwestern Brooklyn, and Staten Island</em>*. More possibilities abound by going to some NYC area suburbs on LI, NJ, or areas north of the Bronx. </p>
<ul>
<li>Have dated a few women from that area and been there enough to notice the predominantly GOP signs there during election time. Their political leanings tend to closely mirror those of more conservative areas of LI or an uncle’s well-off New Jersey suburb. </li>
</ul>
<p>** Tends to be Republican leaning in local politics and last two presidential races. Granted, it has tended to swing back and forth in the latter if one goes beyond the last two elections. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It depends on how strongly held one’s political opinions are held, whether both sides preferably could “agree to disagree”, and/or how those political opinions are expressed.*</p>
<p>Incidentally, one journalist friend who was interviewing early voters/potential voters out in Ohio expressed deep sorrow at how his interviewing a boyfriend/girlfriend couple about their politics ended up causing the GF to openly state “I may need to rethink my relationship” after hearing her BF fully express his political views which were almost diametrically opposed to her’s. </p>
<p>I tried consoling him by saying he probably performed a great service for both of them as this may have averted a horrific conflict-ridden relationship/marriage if it was allowed to proceed further on its seemingly unexamined course or maybe it forces both of them to do enough introspection into themselves and each other to the point it actually causes them to “agree to disagree” maturely and actually strengthens their relationship. </p>
<ul>
<li>I.e. Making sarcastic quips about the SO’s differing political views, starting arguments/fights about them, or similar actions are some of the signs said individual is demonstrating too much immaturity and inability to “agree to disagree” to last in a politically mixed romantic relationship/marriage unless the SO concerned has the patience and forebearance of a saint or worse…happens to be a doormat. In every romantic relationship/marriage in which this happened…breakups, divorces, or one-sided miserable relationships ended up being the result.</li>
</ul>
<p>For those on the East Coast, do you really think we will know presidential results before it is time to sleep? Even for those on the West Coast, same question.</p>
<p>I am not sure we will know presidential results om Wednesday when we get up.</p>
<p>I don’t think that it will be that close. I’m on the West Coast and expect that enough East and Midwest swing states will be determined so that I’ll know long before bedtime.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine ruling out love or friendship because someone had a different political bent or position on a controversial topic than I had. You either decide to disagree nicely, or just don’t talk about it. That would rule out most of my friends and family from my life. I am convinced that most of us have similar world views, we just differ on what it takes to get there.</p>
<p>I doubt we will know the Ohio decision by 10:00…could be days or weeks if it’s as close as many believe, and Ohio has a very good shot of deciding this election.</p>
<p>I think if Obama wins it will be close but it is possible that Romney wins either a close race or turns several states and wins easy. To me Obama had Virginia and now it appears lost. Romney goes to Pennsylvania says something especially when the Dems answer with Bill Clinton. Add the gay marriage issues in Minnesota and Oregon and the pot issue vote in Colorado and things could turn for Romney.</p>
<p>I watched the last two election nights, before that I was too young… last time I watched with my mom, who was only secretly interested, and I decided to get up and take a shower thinking I had time before a winner was announced and ended up missing when they called it. I’d campaigned and everything that year and was heartbroken that I missed it. The time before that, I know I watched alone but I don’t even remember it. I don’t think either of my parents even voted that year.</p>
<p>This year I really, really want to watch, but I have a pretty strict 10pm EST bedtime so I can be up at 5:30 to work out without falling asleep at the wheel on the way to work. So I guess I will be looking it up online when I wake up on wednesday!</p>
<p>BF and I seem to agree on most political things but it is not something he likes to talk about very often, so we don’t. When we do, we have nice conversations. I can see ruling out romantic partners or friendships based on some issues… some political opinions arent just an idea you talk about in theory every four years, if it’s something that affects who you are as a person or your every day life I think it can be very difficult to make a relationship work with someone who doesnt support your ideas. But, it depends on the issue and the people themselves.</p>
<p>I have a political persuasion (surprise!) but I’m most passionate about issues like gay marriage, literacy and immigration, so strong disagreement on partisanship would bother me much less than strong disagreement on certain issues.</p>
<p>Fwiw, one of my best friends is a conservative (but pro-marriage equality- he doesn’t believe it’s the government’s job to define this issue). He and I love debating and we drive each other nuts sometimes. We can be great friends, but I just could never be in a relationship or have a family with him. Too different. Some can set it aside, some (me) can’t lol. I do have a very, very hard time having friends who don’t believe in marriage equality. I am bi and my best friend is gay so it’s a very personal issue. I feel (personally) like a second class citizen when someone doesn’t believe that I should have the same rights as them. That’s why it’s so hard for me.</p>
<p>The only documented “illegal voting” in the Al Franken election was voting by a small number (some say 30, some say fewer) of convicted felons who were still “on paper,” i.e., had not yet had their voting rights restored because they were still on probation. Some of this happens in every election because the rules are confusing, they’re not well explained to the offenders or ex-offenders, and the offenders are often uncertain or confused about their status. There’s no proof that any of it is intentional fraud, in the sense that someone who knows he is ineligible to vote goes ahead and votes anyway. And there’s no proof that it advantages either party or any particular candidate when it does occur. In many neighboring states it’s not unlawful for convicted felons to vote; in North Dakota, for example, a felon’s voting rights are automatically restored as soon as the prison sentence is completed. Which, as you can well imagine, dramatically reduces the incidence of this kind of illegal voting, and saves ex-offenders trying to get their lives straight from a lot of unnecessary aggravation from a second felony conviction for trying to exercise what they think is their constitutional right to vote.</p>
<p>In response to this much-ballyhooed “vote fraud” scandal, Minnesota voters are now being presented with a constitutional amendment that would require every voter to produce a government-issued photo i.d., no exceptions. Which would pretty much eliminate mail-in absentee voting by seniors, the disabled, and young people attending college out-of-state (like my D1), as well as absentee voting by overseas or out-of-state military personnel, as well as voting by mail in rural counties that now vote that way exclusively because the county doesn’t have the resources to set up polling places in every little hamlet and people can’t afford to drive 30 or 40 miles each way to the county seat just to vote. And guess what? If adopted, this proposed constitutional amendment probably wouldn’t stop a single convicted felon from voting, because most of them have government-issued photo i.d., and it’s not stamped “convicted felon still on paper.” </p>
<p>We have never had a single documented case of “voter impersonation” fraud here in Minnesota, where someone appears at the polls to cast a vote in someone else’s name. And that’s the only kind of vote fraud the photo i.d. requirement could possibly address; though even that is questionable, because fake photo i.d. is actually very easy to obtain (ask any college student), and volunteer election judges are poorly equipped to spot fake i.d.</p>
<p>Fortunately, Minnesota voters seem to be wising up. Almost all of the state’s newspapers have editorialized against the amendment, and the latest polls are showing it’s probably going down. </p>
<p>I’m going to be at home, eating pizza and popping a champagne cork with DW when that ballot measure, which DW has worked very hard to defeat, goes down. That, and with it our proposed constitutional prohibition on gay marriage, which also looks like it may be headed for defeat.</p>