When and why did politics factor into dating?

[MikeTheBartender]

Inspired from a comment I saw today.

In my 20s, and 30s even, no one gave a shit about politics when it came to dating. No one probably gave a shit about politics in general, but now you literally see on dating apps and hear from friends someone will not date somebody that's a conservative or a liberal or whatever, my parents who are both deceased , I have no idea who they voted for, same for grandparents, aunts a uncles etc. So when and why did politics become a factor in dating someone?

[front2back]

It is an unfortunate aspect of the modern interconnection of the world via social media and otherwise. In the past, typically people measured their own worth by their own achievements and their contributions, these days many who lack said things latch on to ideological groups and make it their identity. This latch gives them a purpose and makes them feel like they are a cog in a much bigger machine actively trying to fix the world, which gives them satisfaction.

While we are mere men and politics will never escape our course of life, I find it rather stupid to hate or despise others over political disagreements. When it comes to dating, the primary focus should be on the partner and how they can improve your life and not on how they think tax policy should be allocated. I personally do not express my politics in dating because really it isn't that important, but if she wants to know she is free to ask.

As a personal note, I have dated opposite before. Personally my politics are strongly right/conservative and in university I had a serious relationship with a girl who decently opposite (She was an art and theater major what did you expect?). We made our relationship work by...drum roll... just not talking politics. It's rather AMAZING what that does!
Even when we did, we had a debate, got a bit angry, and both agreed to say "screw it" and go to bed.

Lastly, pic attached is a related bit of advice for anyone in a similar conundrum.

[front2back]

Thank you for MHO!

[Anonymous]

Since society stopped being polite. There used to be 3 things you didn't discuss in polite conversation, money, politics, and religion. But now today people will discuss all three. Because all three have just become another part of people identity that has to be shared and judge other people on. We have become a very tribal society. I blame mostly the internet. We ain't far apart in age. And we remember a time when people had to go outside of there house to meet people. Where of you were an asshole, people would shun you. But today people don't even need to leave the house. And they can pick and choose there friends by how well those people fit them. You don't have to learn to adapt to other people. Which makes it less likely you'll learn anything new. You can create your own little world, your only little echo chamber. And only let the people in who parrot what you want to hear back to you. Even the 24 hr. News cycle has fallen in line because it has to compete with social media and the internet. So it picks it's viewers, not the other way around. Newsletters port what they want to to hear, and if you want to know their target demographic one need only to watch the sponsors at the commercial break.

[purplepoppy]

I'm guessing it's when the Internet turned it into a reason to hate each other. Even on here you can't ask a simple question without some vile creature using it to spread hate. Politics has moved from something you only thought about once every 4 years to something that's shoved down your throat daily. We dehumanise our neighbours, label each other retards, even the new pseudoword leftist is thrown around the same way as the N word.

Guys complain they can't get dates yet they actively eliminate huge sways of the population. Personally I'd avoid anyone who spends his time pushing politics online regardless of side.

[DishLady]

I don’t think they have to. I don’t talk about politics with anyone I’m saying. I didn’t get all gussied up to discuss an obviously aggravating topic. Why spoil a nice evening?


If you’re planning on laying down roots, though, you have to know whether you’re both ethically conservative or liberal (which is more about your moral compass than your political penchant).

[Chazmatazz269]

The two party system is designed to sow division among the voting bloc. About 90% of voters are just dumb enough to make that really easy. Political ideologies invading the sex and dating game is merely an escalation of the “battle of the sexes” that’s been going on for generations. What we have now was quite frankly inevitable.

[msc545]

This is a really good question and I want to be a little bit careful with my answer. But essentially I think of that people feel that people on the other side of the political Gap that we now have are morally defective in multiple ways. I don't think anyone would want to date a person that they saw as being morally defective at least for me perhaps cognitively impaired since I think that people who reflexively make thin excuses for the behavior of political figures who engage in grossly illegal and unethical conduct have something wrong with they're thinking that I don't want to deal with, At least not on a personal basis. So it goes at least for me far past the notion of just being distasteful and has now entered the realm of psychopathology. An area that I'm extremely familiar with professionally and I would like to say smart enough to avoid in my professional life.

[MikeTheBartender]

Good take, we are around the same age. Do you feel the same that in your 20s or early 30s it wasn't even a blip on the dating scene?

[msc545]

Yes, when I was in my twenties and early '30s I completely enjoyed the company and advantages of the beautiful women here in Southern California. The beautiful women are still here and so am I. But things have changed and not for the better. I avoid the women now because they are much more avoracious than they were when I was younger and many of them have become very political on the conservative side of the fence. As you probably know, I am not a conservative and while I have conservative friends they're all men. We have that sort of treaty between us or we just don't talk about politics. I would never consider dating a woman who supported Trump or MAGA for any reason and interestingly hear where I live many of them do. I'm not going to sign up for a constant line of lies and thin explanations for criminal behavior from anyone.

[HighValue]

Politics have a lot to do with morals in modern times.

Democrat = supports mutilating and abusing kids, abusing men, killing White people and Christians, looting/robbing/burning businesses, casual sex, abortions with no say from the father, allowing illegals with a history of drugs use/sales, robbery, r@03, murder free repeatedly, letting MEN in women's sports and them harming other women in the same sports, forcing people to take the covid vax that killed many people, etc.

Republican = America first (only since Trump has been around because many Republicans of the past were just as America last as the Democrats are), pro family, exclusive relationships, against drugs, lock up murderers, r@p1$t$, not forcing the poison covid vax onto people, NOT allowing men in women's sports, etc.

The two groups are completely incompatible morally to be friends or to have as a mate.

[Razp_Sorbet]

Basically since the 2000s, 2020 rapidly so. Because of a right wing shift in republican congress

[Ariesman81]

I think it's a good thing. Focusing on compatibility within relationships is something previous generations have ignored. Which is quite possibly the reason for such high divorce rates.

[Rangers]

When political division got more serious and it's to the point where people on opposite political sides can't love eachother and have it work

[Staximus]

I remember in the 90s I didn't even think about what a girl's politics were because it wasn't even an issue. Times have definitely changed

[LiamJHayden]

When each side began to see the other as traitors.

[Anonymous]

When civil war brooches, battle lines will be drawn

[exitseven]

when he democrats got really crazy.