Politics at the Dinnertable

Alike many youngsters I was taught at a early on that there are three things you don’t talk about at the dinner table; sex, politics, and religion. Never was this ideal stressed more by my mother than at a family gathering or on a dreaded first date. But it seems very rarely that anyone actually considers who is at the table, rather than what is spoken between sips and bites. Thankfully in this democracy, not all men and women hold identical opinions and surprisingly, political conversations cannot only provide conflict but in many cases the product is respect.

One would suppose that in a growing relationship or fresh marriage that a couple would seek a mate with similar views or avoid controversial conversation at all, but actually, this age-old taboo is being proven starkly invalid. According to match.com, only 17 percent of men and 20 percent of women said that a partner with a coinciding view was a necessity, over half of all singles admit that they would readily marry someone with dramatically different views than they themselves hold. Perhaps- it seems, that opposites really do attract, people do want to hear other’s viewpoints on things and in some relationships a lover can sway another lover’s stance through education, media exposure and well-backed opinions. Mrs. Ryan, wife of Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan claims that she converted
from her liberal democratic background into a devote conservative. Though many speculate this was a political campaign move, it is not under speculation that they did fall for each other with such stark opposite viewpoints and it is worth taking note that such extreme switches do happen because of the influence of a spouse. This is not to say that a lover is always swayed, 95% of people have claimed to never change a political belief because of a relationship, so ladies and gentlemen, hold your ground! But remember, it doesn’t hurt to talk about politics, you mustn’t pretend to be something you are not and love can prosper, regardless of what side of the political spectrum you embody.