Help! I need advice dealing with a friend of my husband’s, who is on the opposite end of the political spectrum than me and can’t get through a conversation without bringing up politics...no matter what we are talking about. It’s not so much that I disagree with him, it’s that he acts as if everything he says is fact; he either doesn’t realize he’s saying something controversial or he assumes we all agree with him or he simply doesn’t care if he’s making others uncomfortable (cont).

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If the friend is in YOUR home he needs to respect your boundaries. If you dont want to discuss politics the friend should stop no questions asked. Your husband needs to support that!

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I know this won’t be a popular response, but I would try not to make it a huge thing because that could just make him more obnoxious about it (source: my life). First of all, I generally hate discussing politics- never liked it, and probably never will. Second, most of my family is the opposite of me and when I tried to politely ask them to stop making certain comments (mostly my brother-in-law), it then turned into a whole mockery thing. Now, I just sit there and debate him in my head, don’t add anymore fuel to the fire and it tends to die down quickly. Many people who act like that are looking for reactions so if you don’t give them a reaction, they might look for it another way.

Again, I know this might not be right for everyone, but this is just how I have chosen to deal with a similar situation.

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Treat him like one of those kids on Super Nanny. Ignore him and don't react until he stops making comments.

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You have to decide if your need to be right about your politics is more important than your husbands happiness. You aren’t going to change the friend’s mind.

His friend is allowed to be stupid- do you have to engage or respond?

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Sounds like dinner with my mom 🤣. Honestly it’s so important to find ways to diffuse these situations. You need to decide that you will not enjoy engaging in a conversation and just.... almost listen to him as if you’re listening to a delusional person share their delusions with you. Just sort of giggle and say “honestly, I have had too much politics recently so I can’t even engage it so over politics.” Or something and just change the subject and laugh or smile.

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Have you tried just asking nicely at the beginning of the night- “please, let’s not talk about any politics tonight”? Then if he does, get up and leave the room, don’t come back until he is done. And you could say when he starts “remember, we weren’t going to talk about this” before you leave. He will quickly get the hint and it also allows your husband to say something, too.

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I've dealt with that with a close family friend. We just don't say anything and then change the subject, it isn't worth it to us to discuss things cause he says things to be controversial

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We’ve seen him twice in the last week and he made 4 off the wall comments. The first night, I was a bit more lighthearted about it, but last night he said something I would consider a conspiracy theory and I just told him to stop. It quickly escalated and my husband stepped in before it got too heated.

This guy is my husband’s oldest friend and he loves my husband dearly, which I appreciate, but I don’t particularly enjoy being around him. I suggested to my husband that we make politics off limits, but my husband doesn’t understand why that is necessary and thinks I should just be able to ignore his friend’s constant political bombs. More than anything, it hurts my husband that two people he loves aren’t going to also be close.

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Dicey situation. My husband is adept at making little jokes about the theories that focus on the claim, not the individual, and they stifle their comments. But that is an art form in itself.

Some people don’t stop w politics and it’s unfair that you feel uncomfortable in your own home. Are his comments hurtful and personally demeaning? Can you talk to your husband and agree on some specific instances when silence is complicit and are not to be discussed and ignore the others?

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