Purple haze

We more or less vote Democrat in my household, and Anonyhub and I went to visit our right-wing republican buddies out in the suburbs this past weekend. I do try to steer clear of conversations about politics or religion with them. They watch a lot of Fox News and end up saying inflammatory things, and I end up getting all worked up and offended at them and it just isn't worth it.

So imagine my surprise when politics came up and it was an entirely pleasant conversation! It's nice to have exciting choices in this election, yadda yadda yadda...for the first time I considered voting across party lines, wakka wakka wakka...we confessed things that bothered us about "our" party's candidate, blah blah blah. I was so pleased!

And then I got an email from them today that blew our nice conversation to bits and I'm so angry about it. Ugh. Why can't I just fast-forward to a time when I don't get so bent out of shape about differing philosophies? Day-to-day, these friends are nice people, but sometimes they say things that just give me the jeeblies in the core of my gut. Sorry to be so vague with the details, but I have a long-standing history of being offended by this couple and I don't really want to air all the gory (read, petty) details of my moral outrage here.

Now. These are not my only GOP friends, and certainly not my only GOP acquaintances. Many of my respected co-workers are. My own dear Mama is a die-hard and I love her tons. I can see where the best of her ideals line up with the best of Republican ideals and that is why they are her party. And I was proud of her when she volunteered to help with the last presidential election, even though in my opinion her candidate was an unmitigated jerk-off. And we can discuss politics without getting all wound up about it (mostly this is her doing as she has always been the rational and level-headed sort). And I enjoy a lively debate with anybody who has good ideas to bring to the table, and the Republican party has plenty. The yin to my yang. I can think of one Republican-leaning friend who is probably reading this entry now who I respect a lot. (My point?: See?! I can have Republican friends! I do have a modicum of open-mindedness!)

So what's the word, birds? What do you do with friends whose outlook on life offends you to your core? Does it really matter? Do you distance yourself? Kick them to the curb? Let yourself get into a red-faced yelling debate with them? Avoid certain topics? Live and let live? Smile and say "we should get together" and then not?