Prev Next
Featured Quizzes
Politix Daily Headlines
Featured Debates
Issues

See all 19 issues

SOCIAL TRENDS

Is Election-Year Politics Killing Friendships on Facebook?

Some folks are ditching flesh-and-blood buddies over online political squabbles

Next>

by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t +

Image: fun107.com

There are friends 'til the end, and then there are friends until the end of the election.

CNN reports on the trouble some are having maintaining cordial relations with others, at least in the virtual world, in the face of heated election-year partisanship. It tells the story of Steve Reeder, a Facebook user who saw his friend count drop off steadily upon announcing his support for Mitt Romney. And Luis Stevens, a Twitter user who's been threatened with real-life visits from folks online upset by his blocking of their politically-oriented tweets.

Like this article? B Vote Up
?

Have you lost friends online because you disagreed with them politically?

92 Comments (view in Forum)

  • Lpguy
    !
    Facebook shmacebook. it was cool for awhile but really its just myspace for people who wanted more sophistication, but settled for a name change!
  • the_power
    !
    You were bullied pretty hard in school huh???

    Although I can, point for point, prove every belief you hold dear to be contrary to logic, reason and common sense, I still care about you as a fellow homo sapien.

    Enjoy your day!
  • CATTLEPROD
    !
    @the_power I'm not neccasarily anti-union. I agree with the bumper sticker that says to thank you for the 40 hr. week. I beleive that. I also would have been a union member back in hoffas day. But I see a differance between private company unions and govt. employees. A coal miner or a steel worker faces much more hazards in a day than the typical beauracrat who gets a papercut. Who needs a union for that? The democrat party and mainly for the vote, nothing more. Those people have nice cushy jobs in return for votes. Private companies on the other hand need to make a profit. And will go along until the point is reached that you finally asked for too much. How much is enough? If a company makes one dollar profit and you hold a meeting to see how best to divide it up what is the point of that business, staying in business, and employing you? That is my problem with unions. They price thier workers out of a job and then complain when the company closes shop. How much is enough? Why arent people allowed to ask these questions without being accused of being anti-labor. It seems to me the best thing for labor would be to quit demanding so much and keep those jobs here, employing you.
  • anarie
    !
    Not that Im aware of ...lol And if they are my friend they know how I think and vote ....if they jabe a problem with it ...its their problem not mine....their polirics and whay they post just reaffirms my political views....I can respectly agree to disagree..
  • stepped_in_it
    !
    Nope....2 things I will not discuss on facebook, with friends and relatives. That's politics and religion. Why? Because I know that my views on both will be different than theirs. And people (in general) expect other people to believe their views.
  • DocPolitics
    !
    No, they might have been. That's just a very typical liberal thing to do. It also seems to get worse with the extremity of their idiology and involvement. It's not your fault, probably not theirs either!
  • SmedleyButler
    !
    I lost friends both left and right. I Support Ron Paul :P They're either afraid of losing social, or corporate welfare. What a shame that we've been conditioned to prostrate ourselves to fictitious pile of worthless paper money, and a elite oligarchy to survive. We don't realize how resilient we really are.
  • Capt_Morgan02
    !
    No one will lose a real friend over politics. If someone gets that mad over your political affiliation or candidate of choice, they probably weren't a friend anyway. Maybe more of an acquaintance. Either way, I'm gonna post what's on my mind. If I have to read some of the day to day nonsense that some post then the least they can do is see the occassional political comment from me. If it doesn't interest them do what I do, keep scrolling. :)
  • Polusalo
    !
    Would you believe I actually lost a friend of 20 years because of politics?

    I agree with the last part you said. It's no biggie to read the occasional "Go Romney!" or "Go Obama!" post. It's a little more annoying to see "Obama is a Muslim! He says so!" or "Romney likes to bend over and fart on young girls! Here's a picture!" but I can even take a few of those here and there. It does get pretty old, though, when it's just one after another after another after another. No status updates, just 25 straight posts about how Obama is a communist, with links to videos that are edited beyond belief. It's like..... you'd be a bad friend NOT to point it out.

    I actually defriended someone on Facebook because he used the Aurora shootings to push his agenda (within 4 hours of it happening) about Obama "taking away gun rights". I called him out on it and his sister and him started throwing a fit, saying all kinds of crap to me.

    I've started ranting. K, nitenite.
  • Dan_Tien
    !
    @Polusalo "Navy nuclear submarine, Aegis cruiser collide"... how long before THAT is blamed on the Obama administration? Anyone? The percentage of people on Facebook converted by incessant political ranting: 0%.
  • Comment removed for Engagement Etiquette violation. Replies may also be deleted.
  • Dan_Tien
    !
    @Neo_NtheMatrix Liberals are not the only ones with closed minds. America has enemies, I agree. Right now our greatest enemies strap on suicide bombs, they don't hold the highest office in the land. I was taught that you salute the rank, not the man. If you call our own Commander in Chief "the enemy of America" then you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. The goal of terrorism is to sow discord and internal strife. "A house divided cannot stand".
  • Penn1699
    !
    @Polusalo Wow. I was with you there for awhile.
    You can stop the daily feed of "freinds" on FB if it gets too annoying.
    Which I have done myself instead if arguing.
    FYI.

  • Load more replies >

  • Neo_NtheMatrix
    !
    I know I would never make friends with anyone that would vote for the enemy of America. It is time that we ostracize people that don't have America's best interests at heart. People that would be cowardly and betray this country don't deserve to find comfort in the friendship of other patriots. Just like a paycheck, being considered a friend of America is something that must be earned. I salute people who are smart enough to purge disloyal people from their friend's list.
  • Dan_Tien
    !
    @David944 I am being sarcastic. The above post by Neo_Nthe Matrix smacks of National Socialism, though. My Uncle Ross fought against the Nazis and had to enter one of their death camps. They said that they were protecting the world from communism, too. There is no place in a free democracy for the type of "patriotism" that Neo_Nthe Matrix describes in my opinion. America's best interests include being free and tolerant. I have absolutely no interest in "earning" the friendship of someone who considers those qualities cowardice.
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
    !
    @Dan_Tien - So expecting people to put the interests of the nation above their own selfish interests is national socialism? Let's see, some food stamps and welfare for now but complete collapse of the union later, or a little hard work now which will make the nation stronger and tougher in the future? Call it national socialism, I call it preservation. Every man and woman should go to the polls on Nov. 6th with only one goal in mind, preserving the union. Voting to increase deficits and dump them on our children and grandchildren can hardly be called patriotic in any circle. If that is what an anti-American buffoon supports then NO, I will not be friends with such a hateful piece of excrement.

  • Load more replies >

  • hwyangel
    !
    Here are some examples:
    In 2009, McDonald’s Corporation was ranked 10 out of 20,“Terrible Advertisers” by the Parents Television Council for advertising on TV programs that glorify sex, violence, and foul language.
    McDonald’s is a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
    And McDonald’s corporation provides charitable aid to the Chicago Foundation for Women for reproductive services.

    Sears sells sexually explicit products featuring human bondage and sado-machoism , and is a big GLBT supporter.

    Walgreens sponsors the Denver PrideFest, an event produced by GLBT members. And a big pro-choice supporter.
  • Dan_Tien
    !
    I only kill friendships over politics on this board. On Facebook I just block the feeds of political or religious blathering, regardless of what is being posted. Besides, people that I consider real friends usually have a similar outlook as me. I don't friend Farmville fanatics.
  • Buggsy888
    !
    Yes, one I have had for years. I don't think anyone needs to call names, be demeaning to get their point across. I don't put up with it in real life,,,why would I in this situation and "because it is politics". You learn a lot about a person when discussing the subject.
  • BigPoppaPhat
    !
    I did have to delete one guy because he was just way too liberal. I understand people have different views but I was tired of reading his propaganda inspired rants which were more offensive than they were anything else.
  • Realthinker
    !
    My daughter's lesbian, atheist 'wife' regularly blastes me for making pro-Romney and pro-Christianity comments on my Facebook page. She is downright hateful about it. One of these days I'm going to check out her own mother's page and see what she has to say to her mother who regularlty posts exactly the same things I do!
  • Realthinker
    !
    @bsking Nah, me either
    She calls me religiously intolerant for posting a photo of praying muslims with the punchline "The media waits for Obama's press conference to begin". No sense of humor
  • 910disaster
    !
    I havent had to unfriend anyone. Nothing but family on my page...cant really get rid of them that easy. Tho for the life of me I cant understand why my cousins broke butt keeps trying to force people to vote Romney. smh
  • bsking
    !
    Sounds like your cousin is putting the future of the country ahead of his own immediate circumstances. Sounds like a guy I would call "a friend".
  • Comment removed for Engagement Etiquette violation. Replies may also be deleted.
  • Fitz
    !
    Not that I am aware of. If a person cannot respect my views, agree to disagree and stay friends then they probably werent much of a friend to begin with.
  • R Load more comments...