Q: Please list three tips for keeping conversations neutral when politics come up on a date?
A: 1. Make an amicable agreement not to talk politics at all on a date.
2. If you’re on a date and friends start to talk politics, don’t get swept into the conversation. Announce that you and your date have agreed not to talk politics.
3. Change the dial on the radio or TV if a political show or the news comes on.
Q: Is it ever okay to discuss politics on a date?
A: If you discover that your date shares the same political views as you do, then it would be fun and interesting to talk politics. But, you need to set limits from the beginning. If you ask each other what party you like, then you have to agree not to continue to talk politics if it turns out that you each like different parties.
Q: How do you tell someone that you are on a date with that you don’t want to talk about politics?
A: You can simply tell your date: “I really would like to get to know you, and not be distracted by politics. There are more important things to find out about each other.”
Carole Lieberman, M.D.
Psychiatrist/Relationship Expert
curvesconnect 