Be honest. Has this election changed your perspective of some of your acquaintances that voted differently than you?

Talking events and news that effects politics and influences peoples politics isn't the same as actually talking about politics.   I think many people fail or are unable to make the distinction these days.


Actually my family does talk them a little but it's almost exclusively in tongue and cheek and joking manners.

It sounds like your family has a pretty healthy attitude about politics.  I think mine did as well.  I certainly was taught to take in different points of view and that has helped me not feel so closed off from most of the population.  I feel sorry for anyone that cannot think just a little outside the box.  

YES!  THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Who is "they", S and RP?  Not sure if I follow you.

That would be the two out of the many people in my pool of acquaintances that confess to voting for Hillary. They're among the ones that threatened to migrate to Canada if she lost (and Trump won).

If you did though, would that affect your feelings of respect towards them?

No. Before this election most of them voted for Obama and the other Dems and it never bothered me. So no it wouldn't bother me.

Same here.  I think about what draws me to other people and the rest is just incidental.  I am confident that even those that may have voted differently than me, did so for the right reasons in their heart.

My closest friends and I share many core beliefs and have many of the same goals in life.  I don't know how they all voted, but I know they undoubtedly voted with their conscience.  That is all that matters in the end.

...and this is a wonderful conclusion you have come to...you are all not that far apart at all on the issues that matter.  

THIS is exactly why I wanted to talk about this because it's just so easy to assume much about someone that voted one way or another.

Having friends that don't all think exactly alike is how we grow in life.  

Thanks for sharing this!

PeaPod -- I take several things in life very seriously: Family, Friendships, and my country. In the case of the last, this leads me to perform a very unusual level of research on the candidates as soon as they emerge as "major" candidates. In 2008 I did this by researching the history, record, books written, articles published, speeches recorded, etc. for Barrack Obama. Although I am what I call a libertarian-conservative, I liked the idea of America having our first Black American president and hoped that I could vote for him. By the time I finished my research I believe I had an exceptional understanding of what he would be like as president and what goals, objectives, and policies he would pursue. Looking back, I was extremely close to 100 percent right on. As a consequence, I decided I could not vote for him. However, when he won, I hoped and prayed he would surprise me and be a successful president for all the people and that he would try to improve race relations in America.

I knew John McCain personally and had previously researched him. I did not particularly like him and did not want him for president. Unfortunately, once he won the nomination, I really only had two choices and chose McCain as the "lesser of two evils." The same was true in 2012. Romney was not someone I wanted but I voted for him as the lesser of two evils.

In the most recent 2016 election cycle I conducted my research. I already knew I could not support Hillary Clinton for a whole lot of reasons not least of which was her performance as Secretary of State, her dishonesty, and her actions with regard both to Libya and Benghazi.

I researched all of the leading Republican candidates. The more I researched the more I supported Trump. Why I am sure you want to know. So here it is. First, I have come to hate the "Uniparty," or "DC Establishment" absolutely. They all are driven completely by either self-interest or special interests, usually one and the same. Second, after reading Trump's "Art of the Deal," and everything else I was able to find, I came to the conclusion that virtually every word he speaks, every character he tweets, is driven by strategy, no matter how much it sometimes appears to be random and even a little "crazy." I would say that if you look at him historically he has been crazy like a fox. Everyone underestimates him or misunderstands him, and all those who do learn to regret that. Whenever Trump has set out an "extreme position," it does  not mean that he ever intends to follow or implement that position.

Trump's extreme positions are intended for his enemies, adversaries, and opponents and are used by him to set his opening gambit or negotiating position later. If you look at all of the extreme positions he staked out during the election, he already has backed off almost all of them to some extent. Some of them were opening gambits with congress and the DC establishment, some with the Republican Party, some with the Democrat Party, and many with both allies and adversaries throughout the world.

Immigration is a good example. Trump said he was going to Build the Wall, and that he was going to Deport all Illegal Immigrants. He never had any intention of literally building a wall across the entire US Mexico border -- but he does intend to seal the border from all further illegal immigration and smuggling. He never intended to deport all illegal immigrants, he wants to deport all illegal immigrants who have committed serious violent felony crimes. However, the entire DC establishment in both parties actually opposed any kind of immigration reform. Illegal immigration is good for their special interest constituents. So he had to make them all convinced he really is crazy enough to deport 10 million people because now if the real number turns out to be several hundred thousand or even one million, they will not fight him. They will compromise.

One of the reasons I really like Trump is that he is neither ideological nor partisan. As he did last week when he smacked down the Republicans in congress who were trying to get rid of the Independent Ethics Board. Additionally, Trump is not and has never been a "Social Conservative" who will act against the interests of Women minorities, or the LGBT community because those simply are not issues he particularly cares that much about. In as much as Republicans control both houses of congress and the White House starting next week, it is inevitable that liberal programs and ideas will take some small hits, with the exception of Obamacare, but for the most part, Trump will act for the betterment and benefit of all Americans, including women, minorities, etc.

I may not agree with you, but I sure appreciate the time you took to explain why you voted the way you did.  I would imagine that a lot of people felt just like you.  They were sick of "Washington as usual".  I just wish that we had someone different turning them all upside down.  I worry about world relations and how Mr. Trump will handle some of these other world leaders we have had to handle with kit gloves.

BTW, I want to be wrong about Trump.  If he turns out to be something that was truly great for this country, I will gladly eat my own words.  But where I sit now, I don't like the man and for way too many reasons to go on.

Again, I do thank you for your input.  

PeaPod -- Trump is narcissistic, but then so is Obama. The other characteristics Trump brings with him that you and many others probably hate and are the reason so many opposed him may in fact e necessary and required to achieve in Washington what needs to be achieved. A more "considered" or genteel politician would be no different that what we have gotten throughout most of my life and either would not even attempt to "empty the swamp" or would be unable to do so.

As I believe Claus Von Clausewitz said, war is nothing more than the pursuit of foreign policy by other means, or words to that effect. Having served in the military and worked in the Defense industry my whole life, I can say with some certitude that in the US, soldiers do not want to go to war and do not seek out war. They are Warriors who, when needed and called forth by our civilian leaders, charge into the teeth of enemy fire. Perhaps what we need now is a Warrior and Trump is that Warrior.

Best wishes to you. Conversing with you has been a pleasure.

Thank-you Lickitysplit.  It's been a pleasure talking to you.  I wish more would put that kind of thought into their political debates. 

That is always a good thing; when you know you are evolving.  

This bothers me too.  Very much so.  It actually makes no sense why some Christian organizations blindly support him.  Is it because he is now a Republican?  Is it his stance on abortion?  Surely the rest of him doesn't represent what a church would rally behind.  

Personally, I have never been comfortable with any church endorsing any candidate.  Most politicians by nature are pretty darn corrupt and should not be applauded for their "Christian values".

Why would a Christian organization support Trump?
.....................
The Supreme Court appointment
Trump is pro-life
Says he will defend the Church. Even says he will get rid of the Johnson act (Silencing the church on political issues)
Support of Israel...says he will move our embassy to Jerusalem. 

It was not about personal actions but positions on issues.

Well, I would look at the man as a whole.  I think he is far from what Jesus would ask his followers to endorse.  Just my humble opinion of course.  

And Clinton is the opposite on all these issues so aside from just staying home...the choice was easy.