Ever since I was little, my dad has LOVED politics. He took my brother and me to multiple rallies when we were younger. He's very much the stereotype of "fiscally conservative but socially liberal." He's the type of person who has a top 10 of favorite presidents of all time and expects you to have the same AND an equal desire to discuss it with you.
I am quite possibly the opposite. I'm the only registered Democrat in my family, and I NEVER want to be involved in political discussions because I'm always arguing the other side with people who never listen.
The 2020 election has been a hot topic for everyone, but especially for my family, with all of the conversations being spearheaded by my dad. Even though we voted the same way in 2016, there was a clear divide between who we would be voting for in the primary.
When people started announcing bids for the 2020 presidential election, my dad was the first person to ask me how I felt about it. Who did I like as a candidate? Who would I be voting for? And for over a year I put off researching candidates so I didn't have to answer his question. I figured if I didn't know anything about anyone sooner than I had to, I wouldn't have to engage in a debate where I would walk away and just feel judged for who I was supporting.
The 2016 presidential election was the first time I got to vote. While I was disappointed by the outcome, like most people I know, the most surprising part was the call I received from my dad the day following the election. I was walking from one class to another, my dad called me to check in and see how things were doing. During the call, he told me that we had voted for the same person, which was not at all what I expected.
After then, we didn't really talk about politics for a little while. It was a nice break from the questions about all of my political opinions and why they're all so different than his own. This year, I was originally home to vote in person, before it got canceled. I didn't want to do it then, because I knew that voting while around my dad, there would be no way to avoid a discussion of who I voted for and why.
Even though we received the same ballot this year, that doesn't mean we're on the same page with the election. Those differences make it hard for me to want to discuss politics in general with him, but especially my politics.
When our absentee ballots all came in on the same day, my dad's ideal voting experience was sitting around the kitchen table with the newspaper and all of us voting at the same time. Instead, I sat in my room, did my own research, and then was able to argue for the people who I had voted for. While I know that you don't have to share who you voted for, it's not the easiest thing to do when someone wants to know so badly, and their whole personality is built on knowing how the people closest to them voting.
Unlike most people I know, I don't want to get into political debates with my family. All four of us have different opinions on almost every issue in politics, which makes debating even harder. Somehow the three of them have opinions that are similar to each other, and I'm left to fight alone against a group of people whose opinions won't change no matter what I said.
Politics is a touchy subject for everyone, but for me, I can't wait for the election cycle to be over. There is nothing I hate more than having to discuss politics with my dad, knowing that no matter what I say will be the wrong thing. Election season always brings out the differences between my dad and my political opinions can be ignored, at least for a few more months.
