I don't want to talk about politics but

Man, I could make some money if I collected $5 everytime I heard someone say, "well I don't want to talk about politics but....". There is always that but. The closer to November the more upset everyone gets when they discuss that which they do not wish to talk about but........

My take on it is pretty simple. If someone launches into a statement about how wonderful they think some politician is, unless you are at a fan club meeting for that particular fellow or gal then you can inevitably expect that not everyone shares your views, and someone may well be happy to launch ICBM's into your statement, or they may just say I didn't like that guy, I think he was senile or incompetent or impotent or whatever you want to insert as a descriptive adjective there. I try not to discuss how wonderful I may have thought this politician or that one was but there's always someone who wants to and when I trot out my favorites it seems to make them feel the need point out how awful that "other side" is. It's all pretty fruitless.

The other one I hear at work a lot (one of my coworkers has an offspring elected to a minor state office) is well I won't talk politics but blah blah blah just want to do this or give that away or blah blah blah. Newsflash, that IS discussing politics if you are trying to ascribe what you consider a negative trait to the "other" side whatever the "other " side is. What happens then is either
a. you are surrounded by those of like mind and everyone bleats in rhythm about how great their side is
b. you offend someone from "the other side" in earshot and they feel compelled then to remind you of all the shortcomings of "your" side so then you feel offended and don't understand why they are talking politics
c. you are ignored because you are trying to discuss it with people who either don't know or don't care about the issues you consider important or who don't like "your side" but who are not willing to discuss it like the "B" people above.

I am not looking forward to the next two months with everyone around me asking me what I think of this person or that person or just wanting to discuss this person or that person or what they think it is one side or the other stands for. Pick your side carefully, vote your conscience but don't try to make it someone else's.