A House Divided

I live in a divided house, and not because I’m the only one with testosterone within yelling distance.  It’s because my wife is a Democrat and I’m a Republican.  A fact that didn’t come to surface until after we got married.  When we were first married about a decade ago, the nation hadn't had a major election that would have come up in conversations in our home.  A few senatorial races, some local propositions, maybe a couple of city council elections, but nothing that would have caused either my wife or I to question the other’s sanity.  

Someone told me recently that it doesn’t matter that we are total opposites on our political views; our votes will cancel each other out.  That maybe true, but this debate of opposites goes much deeper than that.  It’s not that we have a responsibility to our respective parties to vote; and no, it’s not that we have this great opportunity to harass each others candidates, which we do relentlessly, hello Trump, hello Hillary.   

The real crux of the matter here is why did it take so long to find out about my wife’s political preferences?  How did I go through our initial meeting, dating, courtship (funny word) and wedding without having a clue to how she leans politically?

As she and I met online through Match.com I don’t remember if they had a profile section concerning political affiliation.  Was there a place to check off donkey or an elephant?  Should I have been more explicit in my profile and added Bush lover (that would have gotten me in trouble)? 

How could we have had all those long walks and talks about life and love during our dating; about how we raise our children, school work, discipline, money, housework and the usual domestic items, yet miss political leanings.  Was I starry eyed in love and missed all the signs?  Did I know deep down in my being and just subconsciously pushed it down and ignored it?  I don’t know.

What I do know is that we are having great fun at my house.  This election has brought out the feisty side in both of us.  We goad and poke each other when our candidates pull a major duh.  We both do a running commentary during the conventions that is far more entertaining than what is happening up on the podium most nights.

No matter who wins I’m going to remember this election fondly.  A house divided is a house having fun (at least at my house).