It’s gotten so bad that one in four Americans say they may skip Thanksgiving this year to avoid political discussion, according to a recent survey.
Moreover, a majority of those surveyed believe politics will cause tension this holiday season. They either want to ban political discussions or set boundaries, a move that would result in free-speech protests.
Whatever happened to turkey dinner with all of the trimmings followed by half the crowd falling asleep while watching football? (We all have a snoring uncle or family member, right?)
Now, politics has invaded Thanksgiving like feral swine, wreaking havoc in its path. Political differences are everywhere.
The contrasts start when you go to the home hosting the meal. Republicans are likely to roll up in a Jeep or an American-made car, according to CarGurus. Democrats prefer a Toyota Prius or a foreign-made car, the website said. So, there’s conflict before the green beans are cooked. Conservatives show their patriotism with cars made in the USA and deride the tree huggers in a hybrid to cut down on carbon dioxide to save the planet. What a bunch of leftist losers.
The food is likely political, too. The Washington Post noted Republicans like to shop at Walmart, which has some pretty good, pre-packaged mac and cheese. But that could be met with derision by a Democratic family member, scoffing that such a low-class Trump voter likely went to the store in a pickup with a gun rack and an American flag on the back window. There is no surer sign of superiority than a vegan pumpkin pie from Whole Foods, the liberal market of choice.
There may be a teeny, tiny bit of common ground with the choice of music, but not much. Both sides listen to classic rock, though conservatives like it twice as much as liberals. And, over a period of several hours, there’s only so much of the Stones, The Who or CCR one can stand. That’s where the problems start because Republicans would want to listen to country music and Democrats, R&B, according to a Post study. Maybe Jelly Roll’s a good comprise? Nah. There’s no compromise in politics.
As a result of these differences, Thanksgiving dinners are, on average, 24 minutes shorter in families with different political views, although in some cases, they could be 70 minutes shorter, according to a study in Plos One, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Of all of the stats, that’s the saddest one. People are taking time away from their family because they don’t see eye-to-eye on who’s in the White House. We spend lots of time with our immediate family, but we’re now consciously taking time away from our extended family — aunts, uncles, cousins.
Instead of appreciating the time we have, we focus on politics.
Here’s a little secret.
Not one of those people you’re focused on and causing you all this angst — Trump, Harris, Trump’s cabinet picks, Democrats trying to figure out what went wrong — are focused on you. At their Thanksgiving tables, the lawmakers worry about keeping power or getting it back.
They want you to fight, spend less time with each other, and, even better, cut each other off. That divide fuels the dissension that parties seek to manipulate and turn into votes.
Think about that when you’re arguing whether French press coffee signifies a bougie elitism or a plain cup of joe means a lack of sophistication.
It’s all so stupid.
And they have us where they want us.
Even on Thanksgiving.
Ray Marcano’s column appears on these pages each Sunday.
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