Boy, did I step in it today.
Late this past fall, during a workplace interaction that turned briefly to politics -- sparked, if I recall correctly, by a GOP debate the previous night -- it was made apparent that I was the conservative/Republican in the room. This revelation did not please one of my co-workers, a presumably pleasant, professional, and mild-mannered lady in her mid-to-late fifties. Not the first time experiencing such unpleasantness, I watched this person transform before my very eyes into a bitter, enraged, wild-eyed, finger-waving, aging hippie.
Being both a tease and a glutton for punishment, I vowed to tweak this emotionally fragile hyper-liberal whenever the opportunity arose.
Such an opportunity arose this morning: I jokingly asked this co-worker if she was going to watch the Iowa caucuses tonight. That was enough to set her off on a tirade enumerating everything wrong and/or evil that several GOP candidates have done. (Did Rick Santorum actually say he would repeal the Civil Rights Act? That's what she told me but I can't seem to find it on the web. Hmmm.)
But here's the kicker: Trying to civilly end the debate, I told her that even though we disagree on politics, "I love ya anyway."
And she smugly refused to return the sentiment!
When I called her on it, she said she couldn't like someone whose positions and whose candidates would "destroy the country."
Citing her hero Obama as exhibit A, I suggested that the two of us had different ideas on what constitutes "destroying the country," but followed up by saying, "But I guess I'm the one showing tolerance and acceptance because I still like you even though we disagree."
Again, she let me know in no uncertain terms that, my feelings toward her notwithstanding, she did not like me.
A Reform-ish Jew living in this blue Northeast area of NJ/NY/PA, etc., I've known plenty of people whom I've disagreed politically. But this is the first time I can remember someone actually saying they don't like me once she found out my politics.
Luckily, I only see this person once a week. How should I interact with her from now on? Am I wrong to have taken this so personally?
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