Friday 9 November 2012

Republicans and Democrats Decide Length of Friendship

Yahoo News asked voters to share stories about relationships gone sour during the election - and how they're working to mend fences. Here's one person's story.

FIRST PERSON | I've been friends with Pat for 33 years. We grew up in Davenport, Iowa, and one of the things we loved doing -- from age 12 to 35 -- was go to rock concerts.

His family is Republican, while I grew up a Democrat. Our political differences had no bearing on our lives as kids, but when we first began to vote, a friendly rivalry developed. The bantering began during the 2000 election: Al Gore vs. George W. Bush.

Pat and I would text each other the night of the election any time a blue or red state lit up on the map. It was friendly and fun. The 2004 election between Bush and John Kerry was similar. When Bush won office again, relentless text messages -- "Why don't you get a real contender?" and "Hail to the chief" -- blew up my phone. I replied: "At least this time his brother didn't give it to him."

Even still, our friendship survived and we continued to go to concerts together.

2008 brought President Obama in a surprise election that had Pat texting, "Wow, he is magical." The text was harmless. In 2010, Pat and I went to Chicago for a Queensryche concert. The photo here represents our last physical encounter. Everything was still fun and games until the deficit began to build and unemployment began to rise.

I texted Pat in 2011 about a guy we went to school with not having a job and he replied with, "It's because Obama caused high unemployment." Before I could respond, he texted, "Spend as much money as you can doesn't fix the country." I never thought it wasn't fun and games until I responded, "That's OK. We'll have another four years to fix it."

Since 2011, I have not heard from him. I've texted, called, posted messages on his Facebook page and the result was nothing. This past election I didn't get to banter with him about the election. I began to miss my friend. If politics is going to ruin a 30-plus-year friendship, I guess 30 years is how long a friendship lasts.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-democrats-decide-length-friendship-191900144.html

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