Tia Price

With the presidential election arriving quickly it is not uncommon to find yourself in an unplanned political conversation with others. I have lately found myself in such situations several times over the past two weeks. I’ve also been berated by political emails, literature, and phone calls as well. What concerns me is not that people are campaigning or engaging in these types of communication (on the contrary, I think they are a healthy part of the democratic process). I am concerned about the manner in which people choose to talk about each candidate and their political party.

Some people are assuming that their close friends, neighbors, and relatives have the exact same political views as they and become comfortable in their conversation. They quickly move from respectful and or enlightening conversation to emotional or inappropriate comments or displays.

I recently attended a dinner party in which such a political conversation was started by a strong supporter of one of the candidates. Most at the party assumed everyone to be of the same opinion. The conversation turned into a racial one and then one related to class. Seeing that another guest was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, I interjected a question to redirect the conversation and suggested that maybe everyone there was not of the same opinion and we should move on to other topics. My suggestion was brushed off as if it were impossible and the conversation continued. The other guest and her family soon made excuses for an early exit. What was intended to be a time of gathering for friends and family to enjoy each other, quickly turned into something else.

These inappropriate displays have consumed so much of the media that most people are not even aware of what each candidate really stands for. What are the issues that really matter to you? Does the candidate line up with your views on those issues? It’s really not about finally getting a minority or a female in the White House. It’s not about electing or not electing a maverick. It’s about who is going to best lead our country and represent our values.

Check out this link for more on political etiquette (I think it applies to social situations as well as the workplace:

http://sites.jhu.edu/civility/Politicsatwork.pdf