The Donkeys and the Elephants Should Be Friends

Submitted by Paul:

One thing people don't usually share on their online dating profiles (at least as far as I've found) are their political leanings.  As a result, dinner with Jessica was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life.

One of the first five sentences she said was something like, "Did you hear about that [local] news story about that rape victim who wanted an abortion?  Hello?  Adoption?"

I didn't respond, and she jumped right on me.  "I take your silence to mean that you disagree?"

I shrugged and told her that I leaned a fair amount liberal, although I liked to keep a level head and open mind.  She muttered something like, "Typical liberal.  Pick something and stick with it."

I didn't say anything to this, and she apologized, saying that she was involved in various political causes and that I had engaged her on a subject on which she was passionate.

I then pointed out that she was the one who had brought up the abortion thing and that I just wanted to have a pleasant dinner.  She retorted, "It must be nice to have a pleasant dinner while so many babies are being mutilated."

The waiter picked that moment to come by, and must have heard the end of her statement.  I decided at that point that I'd give her the benefit of the doubt, and, as I said, keep an open mind.  Just because someone leans differently politically, or talks about mutilated babies on a first date, is no reason to write them off.  Right?

She went on about how environmentalism is destroying America, how fair trade is ludicrous, and how Obama's mishandling the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I told her that perhaps she'd be better off with a guy who shared her political beliefs.  She replied that she liked converting liberals and that she had a flawless record of doing so.

The rest of the date went a lot like that, and suffice it to say, I'm proud to be her first failure.