Judith Weiss writes about the asymmetry between blue and red:

“People just assume you’re a Democrat." Boy do they.

Another thing they do which Kornblat doesn't give an example of, but which we all have experienced: They always start political conversations. None of us do. We have learned that no one wants to argue issues on their merits, that the room gets very quiet and unfriendly, that people start screaming at you, or rant the most loopy beliefs and conspiracy theories. We just assume that is not a topic anyone can treat in a dispassionate manner.

But they always provoke political conversations. Well, not conversations, which would be enjoyable and enlightening. They make pronouncements. And look around the room to see if anyone not only doesn't agree, but doesn't agree enthusiastically. As a friend deep in the closet in the theater world put it, you can't just sit quietly and wait for the topic to change. No, you are suspect if you do not vocally endorse the official opinion of the group. You thought you were in a project meeting or a coffee klatch or a dinner party, and all of a sudden it has turned into the Communist Youth League Self-Criticism Session.

And then, after they have assumed, because no one in the room has fangs or horns, that a political support group is what everyone wants (and they do, except for you) - if you express your difference of opinion, they are offended that you spoiled the intimate feeling in the room by being other than they assumed, based on their superficial reading of you. In other words, they brought up politics, but they are the only ones who get to play. If you join in, you are the one who soured the conversation by bringing up politics. Because they weren't trying to start a political discussion, they just wanted to commiserate with friends. You party pooper.

Posted by Rand Simberg at October 31, 2006 09:35 AM

Bingo. It's even worse when they suspect you disagree.

My wife & I have observed this tendency for some time and wondered if we were the only ones seeing it. It started on election eve 2000, with a gaggle of over-enthusiastic Gore voters out trolling for arguments at a local bookstore.

Their obnoxiousness stands out in my mind to this day. One "gentleman" very nearly got his face pushed in when he suggested my wife just wasn't smart enough to see his point.

I've seen it in my own family and circle of friends. Individuals who are staunchly liberal Dems can't seem to stop themselves from starting a political "discussion" every time they talk to me. I don't recall ever doing that in the 90's, as much as Clinton infuriated me back then.

I've seen it recently at work, the least appropriate of places. When I pointed out that really wasn't the best time or place to hash it out, I was accussed of trying to "suppress dissent" and avoid hearing the other side.

Geez, and here I thought it was just normal office etiquette...

I cannot understand the lib's constant need to pick fights with those whom they know disagree with them. Must have something to do with the prevalent assumption that if I don't see things the way they do, then I just haven't thought about it enough. Or are stoopid. Or eevvil.

Pat, you're obviously not at least 99&44/100%ideologically pure.

This odd social dynamic is certainly true in my experience. I live in L.A. in case anyone is plotting data points.

I think it has something to do with the relationship between ideology and self-concept. For a lot of people, liberal politics seems to be the central defining element of their self-concept. The only other group I've encountered that routinely behaves this way is Jehovah's Witnesses.

In fairness, I guess I should add that Jehovah's Witnesses are more polite and easier to disengage.

My recent trip to Santa Fe I constantly had this uneasiness that I was going to be called out like this by someone who had their Red state radar on ultra high gain. I certainly didn't look like the average frizzled hair, tye-dye wearin, hiking boot walking freak show.

Up there lots of people walk around with BushyChimpHitler t-shirts on and Impeach Bush bumper stickers on their cars. I even walked into a Anti-Bush rally in the downtown pavilion area with people wearing Bush/Cheney masks and repeatedly screaming for demise of the "Torture-in-Chief". It was funny when one of the guys on the podium said, "Remember to get out there and VOTE!" and this lady sportin' a flattop screamed, "Vote for WHOOOOO, telll em WHOOOO to vote for!!" I thought, "good question, Who DO you vote for?" Some actual constructive message other then, "We hate Bush" might have actually made the rally somewhat convincing to anyone not already sipping the kool-aid.

In 1988, in Sacramento, I stumbled into a political argument in the parking lot of the local DMV between a little old lady and a stereotypical long-haired lefty who was trying to get people to vote for Michael Dukakis.

I'd been reading up on some of "Magic Mike's" doings as governor of Massachusetts. The result of my entry into the conversation wasn't pretty, but at least he didn't clamp his hands over his ears and shriek, "I can't HEAR you !!!" Instead he tossed a lame retort over his shoulder as he beat a hasty retreat.

These days he would've probably thrown his clipboard at me.

My response to the "pronouncements" of these kind of people has become, "what did I do or say that gave you the impression that I had any interest in you political opinion?". If they act like they want to continue I just repeat the question. I even shut down a blowhard that holds court in a Starbucks I regularly visit. That's a tough room, let me tell ya...

We had a saying in the Army, "Opinions are like a**holes. Everybody has one."

Unfortunately, some people seem to confuse the notion of "having an a**hole" with "being an a**hole."