I want to say first that I could not AGREE with you more. To answer your question about how do I cope, I have to answer with this:

… in George Washington’s
Farewell Address he warned against the party system:

Washington against the party system: (from http://www.historian.org/ushist/washingt.htm) (another link of the same: http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/farewell/text.html)

“It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble
the public administration. It agitates the community with
illfounded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity
of one part against another; foments occasionally riot and
insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and
corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government
itself through the channels of party passion. Thus the policy
and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and
will of another.”

So … you, very simply, can look at history, the current state and see that he was right. And that, is the reason I will never sign up to support a party.

How do I cope, I pray…

Taking money from one person and giving it to another is not liberalism. It’s socialism or even communism It’s 100% evil because it robs me of personal responsibility to share any success I get with people who need it. Morality can never and should never be forced.

As a Christian, it’s my responsibility to share my resources with people in need. I do and that’s a private thing. When government robs me of my money and gives it to the poor, it’s immoral and I stand against that.

Socialism is immoral. It’s the result of government trying to be God and I’ll always stand against it and any government worshiper who believes in government rather than God.

Did you know, that the Vatican habours pedophiles? It’s a fact. They get recalled to the Vatican when they are discovered, so they don’t embarrass the church. To hell with the victims. And you follow these leaders. It’s sickening. Anyhoo, besides the point.

Why do you get emotionally involved in politics Neal? What’s the point? Did you even know Sarah Palin existed before she was chosen? She’s a politian. They do it for the MONEY. They’re not doing it for you, or the community. They’ll say anything to get at the money. You think they’re all different?

You want Sarah Palin in cause she’s hot. You’re an idiot. Simple. You don’t know what Socialism is, yet you’re afraid of it. You think that paying less tax liberates you. Have you ever thought what would happen to America of you all stopped paying tax? Do you even know what they do with your tax dollars? Who pays the police services? Why funds the Army? You know, to fight real wars, that aren’t about oil. The roads just get build using Monopoly money? You people are idiots.

Also while I’m as guilty of it as the next guy… portraying Obama as a socialist cartoon character (he’s slightly left of center but the state wont be controlling the means of production on his watch) or Palin as a neo-Reagan cartoon character (she’s talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk on spending, censorship or corruption) has been know to elevate my blood pressure… from time to time.

He has a way of calling out the Republicans disgusting “holier than thou” attitutes while showing us their hypocrisy and then he has a way of making fun of liberalism by showing us that hugging trees doesn’t pay the bills.

More towards your post, there are times I truly have to take a step back. Being a homosexual is hard enough, especialy when people may not know I am one (AKA a coworker that I don’t know well) and I hear them say “God, I hope McCain locks up those fags like Bush should have done.”

Stuff like that makes me want to cut every Republican in the throat, but I’m smarter than that. I don’t care what the mass idiots think (in the Republican party, and some in the Democrat party), I only care what God truly thinks… and for any of us to “act” like we know what he’s thinking, well, that’s a whole new story.

So, to answer your question, it’s happened before – you’re a prime example. I become friends with someone, truly like the person and really look up to them, and at times I then find out their political beliefs and it can be a bit of a downer.

I have to tell myself that it’s not all who they are, but at times, it sure can feel like it.

Not sure if that makes sense.