STFU Co-workers

kikibaby

They are celebrating the election results in MA.  Boo!  I think I'm the only bleeding-heart, tree-hugging liberal in my office

kkchisholm

I'm sad.

kikibaby

Me, too kk... me too

danieliza1127

Yeah, one of my co-workers was talking about it this morning and how great it was and how it really says a lot, blah blah.  I just try to ignore it. 

sarah0725

This is why I like to work for a university: completely homogenous political environment. The only arguments are about which of us is the biggest pinko commie socialist (I think it's me).

jessjo04

'Bout freakin time. We have two political parties for a reason, one shouldnt have all the power.

betrothed123

I think it really does say a lot, just like it did when Obama was elected.  The people took a stand for what they believe in.

danieliza1127

Jess and betrothed - that's all well and good.  My comment is more how it's annoying when you work in cubicles and are forced to listen to people with strongly opposing views as you.  It's one thing if you are part of the conversation and debate but it's different when you don't want to participate but are forced to listen because of the working environment.

betrothed123

I can see your point there, Dani, because I'm pretty consevrative, but work in a VERY liberal office.  This is why I wear headphones all day.

ohwhynot

I love living in my liberal, hippy granola, pinko commie bubble!  Thank you, Madison, WI!!!!

I'm sorry for you, OP.  The gloating would be well-nigh impossible to bear. 

kikibaby

Exactly, Dani.  I'm not looking for political commentary at work.  It's bad enough that I work for the government and have to hear crap from customers all day long- I don't want to discuss it with my co-workers (who all believe differently than I do). 
I am biting my tongue so hard right now I'm afraid it might start bleeding.

shellydiane820

I don't like it when people talk politics at work.  Its sort of a touchy subject, not work appropriate.

Nick works with a bunch of republicans, (we're mostly democrat, I personally have voted republican a couple of times) but they always try to shove their beliefs on Nick.  They act like he's young and doesn't know anything.

sarah0725

I'm just going to go back to stockpiling supplies in my bunker and preparing for the end times.

Whatever happens, it's back now to the way it was before Al Franken won his election, basically that now everything that happens in the Senate is going to be based on what Joe Liberman and Olympia Snowe want. Talk about disenfranchisement - no fair that Joe Liberman gets to be the de facto leader of the country and I didn't get any say in voting for him. But I guess that's how the Senate works.

AmoroAgain

It begs the question though-- were people really as liberal as Ted Kennedy all those years, or was it just that they were voting for TED KENNEDY?  Do you see what I mean?  Was it the name or the policies?  It's an interesting question.

SarahSmile23

brown is more of a blue dog dem than a republican. he even claims to be an independent. i'm not sure why your world is crumbling down just because some people are happy that we will have more balance in congress. i don't think either party should have a filibuster-proof majority. absolute power corrupts absolutely. i know quite a few dems who are happy he won for this very reason.

ac_in_dc

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:594cf936-8a6e-43a3-8b1e-821306d10377">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]I think it really does say a lot, just like it did when Obama was elected.  The people took a stand for what they believe in.
Posted by betrothed123[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't go that far. 2 million people voted in this election vs. 130 million in the presidential election.

Yeah, I don't mind talking politics with anyone who is willing to be civilized about it, but when folks start spouting random vitriol it's annoying.

AmoroAgain

Also, it is not unusual at all for the party of the current President to lose spots in midterm elections.  Let's allllll remember that.  Happened under Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Reagen.  It's not the big freak out people are turning it into.

ac_in_dc

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:a49af54c-eccc-4c1c-b647-3ab7a756eb30">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]It begs the question though-- were people really as liberal as Ted Kennedy all those years, or was it just that they were voting for TED KENNEDY?  Do you see what I mean?  Was it the name or the policies?  It's an interesting question.
Posted by AmoroAgain[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it's both. I think that the political landscape is shifting pretty rapidly right now (it started around 2006) and it will be interesting to see if and how the republicansand democrats adjust. I'm tend to lean liberal in my views (although I'm fiscally conservative, but neither party is truly conservative fiscally IMO) so I cut the dems more slack but both parties piss me off.

SarahSmile23

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:a49af54c-eccc-4c1c-b647-3ab7a756eb30">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]It begs the question though-- were people really as liberal as Ted Kennedy all those years, or was it just that they were voting for TED KENNEDY?  Do you see what I mean?  Was it the name or the policies?  It's an interesting question.
Posted by AmoroAgain[/QUOTE]

Amoro, I think that people really were as liberal as Ted Kennedy, but for one reason or another they want to send a message to the White House with the election of Brown. He is socially liberal, so the people of MA did not go against their beliefs in social areas. CNN interviewed quite a few Dems who voted for Brown and most of them stated that their reason for voting for him was either 1) to send a message to the White House that they aren't happy with the current health care proposals and are not ready for them to be shoved through or 2) to create more balance in congress.

Or maybe people just liked his partially nude photos. ;)

danieliza1127

Amoro, I definitely see what you mean and I do think people were voting for the man, not necessarily the politics.  Obviously.

Betrothed, yeah I had to wear headphones during the presidential election and also tried to keep it a secret when I went to the Obama rally just so I wouldn't get crap for it. 

laurenclaire1386

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:a49af54c-eccc-4c1c-b647-3ab7a756eb30">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]It begs the question though-- were people really as liberal as Ted Kennedy all those years, or was it just that they were voting for TED KENNEDY?  Do you see what I mean?  Was it the name or the policies?  It's an interesting question.
Posted by AmoroAgain[/QUOTE]

FI and I wondered this very thing last night, Amoro. There's no way to discern the answer, but it certainly is an interesting question.

kikibaby

Amoro- that's a good question.  It would certainly look as though people were just voting for Ted Kennedy.  Although, this may just be backlash, and even Kennedy would have lost had he run again in the next election.  Chicken and egg, y'know?

Sarah(smile)- My world isn't crumbling around me, I'm just talking about disagreeing with my co-workers and not being happy about the results of the election.  Not end-times.

ac_in_dc

Yeah, incumbents have a HUGE advantage in congressional/senate elections.

DH is an independent (much more conservative than me) and he has been saying the same thing you are, Sarah. I think a lot of independents don't like the idea of the Dems having a filibuster-proof majority and want to "force" the senate to work together, hopefully more transparently.

I don't know...I think the process is pretty broken at this point and the partisanship has gotten out of control in our legislative branch, filibuster-proof majority or not. But you never know, maybe the kids will learn how to play nice with each other again.

sarah0725

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:4b686153-b14c-4f96-a877-418a15aedf5a">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]brown is more of a blue dog dem than a republican. he even claims to be an independent. <strong>i'm not sure why your world is crumbling down just because some people are happy that we will have more balance in congress.</strong> i don't think either party should have a filibuster-proof majority. absolute power corrupts absolutely. i know quite a few dems who are happy he won for this very reason.
Posted by SarahSmile23[/QUOTE]

Not sure whether that was directed at me, but I would probably feel this way no matter the outcome in the election. I'm certainly no fan of the Democrats, nor of the health care bill. I also don't like what's going on in the Senate right now because, 60 votes or not, everything that has been decided recently has come down to the desires of a handful of conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans. While the two parties argue over straw man issues and do their best not to offend the major corporations, lots of problems go unsolved.

So, I'm just going to do what I can to make sure I'm prepared for the potential disasters that are twenty or thirty years down the road.

AmoroAgain

Well, I don't find the situation threatening, because obviously, the election was conducted in an appropriate manner, and he won fair and square.  I do believe that the government needs to stop being so divided down party lines and being more open to sharing ideas and creating tings from the pieces they can bring together.  Honestly, until the Bush years, I never considered myself one party or the othere-- rather, I chose to vote for the most qualified candidate in my eyes.  Getting entrenched in the "idea" of Republican or Democrat causes people to lose sight of what is actually important- the good of the country, not the good of the party.  Unfortunately, I think that's what we've had since the second term of the Bush presidency. 

SarahSmile23

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:e6b1981a-8d47-4eb8-9a5b-deb61831ea75">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE] I'm just talking about disagreeing with my co-workers and not being happy about the results of the election.  Not end-times.
Posted by kikibaby[/QUOTE]

sometimes my boss will talk about church or something and i'll wish i could escape. people should really limit political and religious discourse in the work place. the conversations are bound to annoy or offend someone. i was just thinking about when obama won and i had to hear the celebrations for that. i expected it the day after the election and just tried to tune it out. it's really all you can do. it's not worth it to argue with groups of people who are celebrating a win. can you mention to your manager that you are having a difficult time concentrating because of the personal banter?

betrothed123

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:88aafeff-d21e-4f4a-b20a-0adfe401985e">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: STFU Co-workers : I wouldn't go that far. 2 million people voted in this election vs. 130 million in the presidential election. Yeah, I don't mind talking politics with anyone who is willing to be civilized about it, but when folks start spouting random vitriol it's annoying.
Posted by ac_in_dc[/QUOTE]
So 2 million people standing up for what they believe doesn't mean they spoke out just because there were less people able to use this election to speak out?    That makes sense.

kikibaby

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:52dd61ad-6d02-44f4-bb90-c302f5ecba29">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: STFU Co-workers : sometimes by boss will talk about church or something and i'll wish i could escape. people should really limit political and religious discourse in the work place. the conversations are bound to annoy or offend someone. i was just thinking about when obama won and i had to hear the celebrations for that. i expected it the day after the election and just tried to tune it out. it's really all you can do. it's not worth it to argue with groups of people who are celebrating a win. can you mention to your manager that you are having a difficult time concentrating because of the personal banter?
Posted by SarahSmile23[/QUOTE]

My boss is the most excited one of all!  He likes to give me a hard time about my political leanings, but then make it clear that he's being light-hearted so I won't get mad *eye roll*

It's really not a big deal, just irritating.  I <em>really</em> like my co-workers, we just have different beliefs. 

SarahSmile23

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:421eef77-65a1-4ade-920f-ba71aa527799">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]Well, I don't find the situation threatening, because obviously, the election was conducted in an appropriate manner, and he won fair and square.  I do believe that the government needs to stop being so divided down party lines and being more open to sharing ideas and creating tings from the pieces they can bring together.  Honestly, until the Bush years, I never considered myself one party or the othere-- rather, I chose to vote for the most qualified candidate in my eyes.  Getting entrenched in the "idea" of Republican or Democrat causes people to lose sight of what is actually important- the good of the country, not the good of the party.  Unfortunately, I think that's what we've had since the second term of the Bush presidency. 
Posted by AmoroAgain[/QUOTE]

I hate the 2 party system we have. It doesn't provide an outlet for Independents. It forces Americans to choose whomever they believe is the lesser of the 2 evils. I identify most with the Libertarian party, but I'd never vote for a Libertarian candidate because I know that, in our system, it would just be a vote thrown away. I'd also be more likely to vote for an Independent candidate than a D or R, but I wouldn't want to waste my vote.

kkchisholm

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stfu-co-workers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:85859ebe-bc1a-4707-92eb-937b8aadb4cbPost:52dd61ad-6d02-44f4-bb90-c302f5ecba29">Re: STFU Co-workers</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: STFU Co-workers : sometimes my boss will talk about church or something and i'll wish i could escape. people should really limit political and religious discourse in the work place. the conversations are bound to annoy or offend someone. i was just thinking about when obama won and i had to hear the celebrations for that. i expected it the day after the election and just tried to tune it out. it's really all you can do. it's not worth it to argue with groups of people who are celebrating a win. can you mention to your manager that you are having a difficult time concentrating because of the personal banter?
Posted by SarahSmile23[/QUOTE]

I agree. I hate this talk at work. Sometimes people will say things that really make me upset but I just sit and smile because I don't want to get into that at work.

AmoroAgain

Well, it's not technically a two party system, and if more people bothered to do some research and stop being lazy, there would be more in the way of mulitple parties. 

The other issue is that the most money goes to the D's and R's and big business wants to keep it that way.  It's in their best interest to know who is in power, and to be able to have some measure of control over that.