Swinging and Politics

[amid]

Hi all, not a frequent poster but we are frequent readers. Something came up that really has us curious.. how most swingers feel about mixing/talking politics and swinging. Some people are very sensitive about their politics. This question line comes up due to a swingers ad that stated in it's content NO (insert political party here)! My feelings were that most swingers were a fairly tolerant bunch. Of course I understand that some couples due to upbringing or whatever the case may be are not comfortable crossing certain barriers but POLITICS???? I can't see it.. We are both strong in our convictions about our political party, but it's never a topic of conversation in the bedroom or mixed company for that matter. I don't know why but this persons ad really struck a cord with me when they said NO (political party here)! I honestly think I was offended by their ad. Can someone be so obtuse as to rule someone out based on their political afiliations? Please offer your usually well thought out intelligent responses to this line of questions. I really want to hear what you folks have to say.

[VegasLee]

You read pixels on the Internet from someone that you don't know, how and why would you even consider being offended?

This is the Internet. 90% of the people will say things on it that they would never think of saying to your face. I don't agree with it but that is the way it is.

Never let a pixel offend you. It takes up good space in your mind that you can use for other more productive and fun things.

[jdavisauto]

I served for over 17 years in the Army as an Airborne Ranger (once a Ranger, always a Ranger). I served so that people can have their political, religious and personal opinions. It is the right of every American to vote for whom they want without fear of opression from another. This right of every American I will and have defended even if I don't agree with them. We need to communicate our views, to learn, to teach and to be inform.
But there is a place and a time for everything. In a swingers club or in a swingers setting is not the time or place.

[good times]

I have actually seen this several times in ads. Instead of being offended, why not look at it as another piece of information you can use to see if you are compatible or not. Frankly, when I see that in an ad I just say to myself, "Right on, their is one asshole I can avoid".

[Chicup]

When we first decided to swing we weren't having a lot of luck finding couples.

The site we were on, (which got bought and is no longer very swinger friendly, at the time it was almost all swingers) was one of those with the answer 100 question type profiles. In one of those answers I made a mildly disparaging comment about one of the candidates in the 2000 election.

It was that comment that got a couples eye who mailed us and we have been very good friends since. In fact they are our only real 'friends' swingers.

Now as a profile, that was a noobie mistake. We didn't know that you weren't suppose to talk politics in swinging, but this post has made me think about that a bit more.

I'd forgotten all about that, but while most people are rather weak on their religion these days, a lot of people are pretty strong on their politics. We always avoid talking politics all together, and its not on our list of 'things in a swing partner' but maybe its not so dumb if you want to join the friends camp of swinging.

There are certain political views, where if someone believes them odds are we will not be compatible as friends. Not so much because of the politics themselves but because our brains work in very different ways. Maybe stating your political views would help for those of us who wish to be friends with those we swing with.

So if I saw an add that had 'No fiscally conservative atheist libertarians' I wouldn't be offended, I'd be happy they saved us the time.

[cplnuswing]

I've seen this too on a profile, and it was very in your face and belligerent. It still holds the #1 spot of the most asinine profile statement I have seen yet, especially since it wasn't a let's be friends profile but instead a let's hook up profile. What someone's political persuasion has to do with fitting tab A into slot B I have no idea, but this person seemed to think it was of supreme importance.

I enjoy discussing politics with the right person at the right time and place, but a social event like swinging certainly isn't it! There is a saying that goes something like "politics and religion aren't topics for polite conversation." In my experience, people who violate that aren't going to be someone I want to talk to anyway about any subject, so like Goodtimes said you at least can be happy they let you know up front what they are.

[Greg & Sheryl]

Originally Posted by amid

We are both strong in our convictions about our political party, but it's never a topic of conversation in the bedroom or mixed company for that matter. Can someone be so obtuse as to rule someone out based on their political afiliations?

Some people have personalities where they wear their politics on their sleeves. Unfortunately, that frequently leads them into heated arguments with those who don't share their political views. While this may not make sense to those of us who prefer to stay non-partisan in lifestyle situations, it's good for politically outspoken types to let you know where they stand so that you don't end up choking them when they start making unsolicited digs at your favorite candidate.

[WeMayTryIt]

We've discovered that finding people who are truly open-minded is an extremely difficult task. Most people, even among self-proclaimed open-minded ones, are only tolerant of views they agree with or are relatively neutral toward. Though we don't mix politics and swinging, we do have a fairly good idea where some of our swinging friends stand, and many hold much different views from our own--polar opposites in some cases. We can truly be friends with all of them. If we saw a profile like the one you're talking about, we would avoid them completely. Not because they may not hold the same views as us, but because someone who would make such a statement would be EXTREMELY unlikely to be someone we would be even mildly compatible with, regardless of which side they were on.

[amid]

Originally Posted by WeMayTryIt

If we saw a profile like the one you're talking about, we would avoid them completely. Not because they may not hold the same views as us, but because someone who would make such a statement would be EXTREMELY unlikely to be someone we would be even mildly compatible with, regardless of which side they were on.

First let me say thanks to all who have thus far replied. As per usual some very good input. More from my camp, it's not the political affiliation of this person it's the narrow mindedness of the way they state their position.. I/we just always thought those of us in the "Lifestyle" seemed to be fairly tolerant of others. Which is not to say we are all liberal in terms of voting. When you really look at it most liberals are a lot more conservative than they realize and most conservatives are a lot more liberal than they realize. This profile is very narrow minded and it just struck me as against the grain of most swingers.. Even if I/we had the same political stance as this person I/we would avoid them for being so narrow minded and rude.

[JustAskJulie]

Swingers are no more open-minded than any other group. Some are very open-minded (meaning they understand that different people think different ways and are open to hearing other people's ideas and thoughts) but most are just like everyone else they are open-minded only to what they want to hear.

Politics are the epitome of this and probably the worst issue when it comes to dividing poeple (even swingers) that's why it is the ONLY topic that is off-limits on this site. Many years ago when the forums here were first opened we allowed political discussions and saw first hand just how dividing they can be.

We see many statements in people's ads that make it clear that they are anything but open-minded (on whatever topic they are close minded about) and those types of statements, if someone feels so strongly they need to declare it up front to strangers, are a huge turn-off for us, and will make us pass on by. Whether it's a political affiliation or a racial issue (much more common), it's just not something we care for.

[Pepper & Drew]

Originally Posted by good times

Frankly, when I see that in an ad I just say to myself, "Right on, their is one asshole I can avoid".

Amen, brother Ben.

As a person in a two-political party marriage, it cracks me up that people think they can't have sex with someone of a different political party, or talk to them afterwards. Plenty of people with different political views share a life together. I can't imagine why you couldn't share playtime.

Besides, if politics comes up while I'm giving a guy a blowjob, something just ain't right

Pepper

[Pensacolapair]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

We see many statements in people's ads that make it clear that they are anything but open-minded (on whatever topic they are close minded about) and those types of statements, if someone feels so strongly they need to declare it up front to strangers, are a huge turn-off for us, and will make us pass on by. Whether it's a political affiliation or a racial issue (much more common), it's just not something we care for.

That's the way we tend to interpret ads we see like that. While it's their right to put what they want to in their ad, it's our right to interpret it as an indicator of someone who takes things wayyyy too serious! With the exception of those with whom we have developed a friendship with over the course of time, we can't remember politics being a topic of conversation with those we associate with in the Lifestyle...along the same lines as religion - it just doesn't come up.

[ohash01]

It seems to me that they are either very firm in their convictions, closed-minded, or have had a bad experience with someone who was whatever political affiliation they wished to stay away from.

Personally, I can't even talk to my family about my political beliefs without someone ending up shouting...no way would I bring it up in any kind of swinging situation.

[LFM2]

Originally Posted by cplnuswing

I enjoy discussing politics with the right person at the right time and place, but a social event like swinging certainly isn't it! There is a saying that goes something like "politics and religion aren't topics for polite conversation." In my experience, people who violate that aren't going to be someone I want to talk to anyway about any subject, so like Goodtimes said you at least can be happy they let you know up front what they are.

Yep, what you said!!

[jdavisauto]

Originally Posted by Pepper & Drew

Amen, brother Ben.

As a person in a two-political party marriage, it cracks me up that people think they can't have sex with someone of a different political party, or talk to them afterwards. Plenty of people with different political views share a life together. I can't imagine why you couldn't share playtime.

Besides, if politics comes up while I'm giving a guy a blowjob, something just ain't right

Pepper

In my one post I said a presidental hopeful name and it got deleted, sorry my bad. Lets try it this way:
If I was getting a blow job, politics of any kind would be the last thing on my mind.