Miss Peacock, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 26, PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Internet Whiz
Engagement Date: December 5, 2006
Wedding Date: September, 2008
Blogging Since: December 13, 2007
Venue: St. Clement Church, Cafe Brauer (or a big church wedding and a fancy party at a cafe in Lincoln Park.
About Me: I am a grad student with a secret obsession for all things wedding related. I also love to read, travel, drink champagne and go for walks with our dog, Maisy, and Mr. Peacock. We are planning our very vintage wedding in the greatest city in the world, our hometown of Chicago. I am so proud to be a Bee!
Voting Brings Us Together
February 4th, 2008 @ 3:12 pm by Miss Peacock
Mr. Peacock and I met while working at a politician’s office- let’s call that politician Bob. He was a fan of Bob’s political party, I, however, was a fan of the other team. I took a job on Bob’s campaign because I was looking for fundraising experience. Frankly, I had just graduated from college and I had no idea what I was doing. I knew that it would be hard to raise money for “the other team” (talking in code is hard!), but after meeting Bob and finding him to be a middle-of-the-road, very likable guy, I decided to go for it. I really loved that job. It was a bit of a boys club and I had never experienced anything like it before. The parties that I was planning were at fun locations in the city and I got to meet some pretty influential people in Illinois. Mr. Peacock worked on the state side as Bob’s assistant and occasionally clocked out and came over to the campaign side with me. I think I need to save the whole story of how we met for another day, because I kinda love it and I would like to write a whole post about it.
Mr. Peacock and me at the Illinois State Fair for “the other team’s” celebration day
Fast forward a few years (Wayne’s World squiggly fingers thing), and Mr. Peacock and I are engaged. I left the job with Bob because the political differences started to get to me, and Mr. Peacock also moved on to greener pastures. We are both still very involved in politics. I even made phone calls for my favorite candidate on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Peacock and I, as we did when we worked together, discuss politics quite frequently. There are a few topics that we purposefully avoid- the war and the current president, mostly- and we are comforted by the handful of issues that we agree on. This presidential election has been a lot of fun for us, perhaps a little too much fun. We are actually going to have an election themed rehearsal dinner (more on that later, too) with political buttons and little banners. He says that he is my running mate. The wedding will be 2 months before the election and we are hoping that things will be pretty exciting by then. 
Tomorrow is Primary Day in Illinois and Mr. Peacock and I will be attending our polling place together. I like when we walk in together, holding hands, and then pull different party’s ballots. I would wear my favorite new sweatshirt with my candidate’s logo on it, but Mr. Peacock says that is electioneering and I could get kicked out of my polling place. We always go vote together and proudly wear our “I voted today” stickers. Although we vote for different parties, we can still have politics in common.
Is anyone else out there in different parties from your significant other? Or are you guys in the same party?
33 Responses to “Voting Brings Us Together”
same party, different candidates. so it’s making primary season very interesting!
Mr. Jasmine and I are very, very alike politically, although I’m more at one end of the spectrum than he is. It was *very* important to me that we share common political beliefs and even though we don’t agree on everything, I feel that we agree on the important stuff.
Same party, same candidate (insert plug for a candidate whose last name sort of rhymes with Go-Llama!). I think that for me, my political viewpoints and my ethical viewpoints are so closely alligned that I couldn’t imagine marrying someone who was so different from me, but I have lots of respect for people who do!
thanks for the reminder to vote tomorrow!
We’re in the same party. After our first couple of dates, I realized I really liked him, but I didn’t know anything about the Big Things (religion, political views, etc.). So I wrote him a big e-mail outlining my views on different things and asking his. Turned out we were both on the same page!
At first we were in different parties but now he is venturing to the good guys side…
We’re in the same party, although Mr. Mags is definitely more partisan than I am! And like you, Miss Peacock, we both work in politics as well!
We’re currently rooting for different candidates, and I was LESS than pleased to find a sign in our front yard the other day - courtesy of Mr. Mag’s candidate!
Same party. We agree on most of the big stuff, but we don’t agree to disagree on the rest! We try to convert each other on the other stuff–neither one of us holds grudges so debates are fun. We both think the other is super smart so we enjoy hearing the other person’s arguments. But, we are also both stubborn so this could go on for years.
Same party, same candidate for ChicagoSteve and me, but I’m fascinated by relationships in which each individual maintains a very different political viewpoint…like my grandparents, or James Carville and Mary Matalin! Steve and I are huge dorks about politics, and we’re so excited that tomorrow will be our third voting day together! I can’t wait to hear about your election-themed rehearsal dinner - we’ve been trying to think of ways to acknowledge the election year in our wedding too.
Miss Peacock, I was just so excited to read your post FI and I live in DC and are having our wedding/rehersal dinner in the district, also 2 months before elections ( yay september weddings!) FI and I are also very involved in politics ( same party at the time same candidate but FI is hedging) And we literally were talking this past weekend about incorporating the election into our rehersal dinner, either by table markers or banners with our names as candidates! My bridesmaid worked for a chicago congressman, so its a small world! Good luck with your rehersal dinner, I look fwd to hearing ideas you have.
That is such a great idea - to hold an election-themed rehearsal dinner! Can’t wait to hear more!
My husband and I are very like minded about most things, politics included. My political views are so tied to my moral and ethical beliefs that I don’t think I could marry someone who thought vastly differently. Even if I did, my parents and the rest of my family would run them off — they are even more politically minded than I! We live in Georgia (but I’m originally from Illinois - the very southern part - yay for Midwesterners!) and our primary is tomorrow, too, so the husb and I are going to vote together, and for the same candidate.
We have DRAMATICALLY different political views. I jokingly say we’re the outside-the- Beltway James Carville and Mary Matlin. As it happens, this is what first brought us together — we would talk on the phone for hours about…politics. Nerds. Eventually, that became boring and we now agree to disagree None the less, presidential election years are always fun for us — especially now that we’re getting married in one!
Same party, same candidate, but VERY different approaches to the political process! I’m a politician’s kid, and I LOVE election night: watching the returns in a smoky room (OK, back when people could smoke indoors) crowded with tense people: the waiting, the cheering, the mini-support groups for the losing candidates.
The hubs wants to be informed, cast his ballot, and then go home as it unfolds. So on Super Tuesday night I’m going to a big watch-the-votes-get-tallied party with friends, and he’s staying home, putting his feet up, and hoping for the best for our candidate.
By the way, if you live in any of these states, be sure to go vote (or caucus, if you are lucky! I have always wanted to caucus) tomorrow: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho (D only), Illinois, Kansas (D only), Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana (R only) New Jersey, New Mexico (D only), New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia (R only).
Just in case I got that wrong, here is the NY Times page that I pulled it from: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/primaries/democraticprimaries/index.html
James Carville and Mary Matalin and their daughters frequent the DC-area restaurant where I used to have a night & weekend job - as a government major and political observer, I was always secretly dying to ask them how they make their marriage work! (BTW - they are all super-nice and polite 
)
Rather than political party, specific issues matter the most to me. We both support the same political party, but that wouldn’t be a requirement for me, provided he felt the same as I do about furthering science. Before I consider myself to be liberal, or even before I associate with being Jewish, I define myself as a scientist. That said, what matters the most to me, personally, in politics is the effect on science and biomedical research. The current funding cuts to the NIH are detrimental to research, as are the bans on stem cell research, for those in my field. I could never date, let alone marry, someone who supported either the funding cuts or the ban on stem cell research, as both are vital to my career as a research oncologist.
We are the same party, and it’s a good thing too. We are both a bit hard headed about our polotics. I think we talked polotics before our first date I never even dated someone from the other side of the fence.
I went to early voting Friday and marked my ballot.
There is totally a commercial on the radio right now in Seattle about reasons you should go vote, and one of them is that you could meet your future mate. 
How fun!
Different parties — I never thought it could happen, but it did ;o)
For me, it would really depend on which issues. I honestly don’t believe I could marry someone who didn’t support gay rights and a woman’s right to chose abortion, or someone who truly thought it would be an awesome idea to build a fence around the US (actually, I can barely stand to be in the room with people who believe that). But those are topics more tied to my moral beliefs. So if someone has a different opinion about foreign policy, or tax cuts, I think thats something I can agree to disagree on (though it would be difficult)
Ms. Peacock… I’ll never forget my senior year in high school my teacher was explaining caucusing and it was silent when some boy raised his and and asked, “So….. its basically how we pick our gym class?” It was totally true!
We have a lot of the same views in common, but I was Independent and he was more partisan. Then he kinda lost faith in his party, and I got fed up with the “Half-in, half-out, complain-no-matter-who-gets-elected” folks down the middle. We were both inactive for a while, feeling like there was no one we could ever really get behind. Then I heard about this guy Ron Paul, and wow. We both support him and can’t get enough of his message on peace, prosperity and freedom.
We’re of the same party, but different ends of the scale on some issues. I think it’s too cute that Mr. Peacock calls himself your “running mate”, and it’s awesome that you guys can engage in discussions/debates and be stronger for it. Kudos on that.
Different parties, although we’re both open to voting for the other party if that’s our favorite candidate (although I don’t see that happening for me unless some dramatic overhaul happens). However, we disagree sooooooooo very strongly about the current president that I can’t even talk to him about it b/c I become enraged. LOL
Mr Ant and I started out on opposite ends of the spectrum. We still lean towards different parties, but I think we have moved somewhat closer to the middle. I’ve convinced him to see some issues my way, and he’s convinced me to see some issues his way. We’re learning from each other.
He’s a republican and I’m a democrat. I never thought I’d be marrying a republican, but it just goes to show that you should never say never. My parents are very liberal and his are very conservative, so it’s going to be an interesting merging of families. It works for us because although he’s fiscally conservative, when it comes to social issues, he’s more liberal (in favor of gay rights, pro-choice, etc). In fact, if a certain republican candidate with out the same social views wins the republican nomination, he’s agreed to vote for my candidate instead.
The one area of contention we do have is the war, but we’ve agreed to disagree on that. It helps that he loves to educate himself further on issues, so I’ve gotten him to watch all the “liberal” documentaries - Who Killed the Electric Car, Inconvenient Truth, No End in Sight. I don’t think I could handle someone who’s close minded.
There is definitely more to come on the rehearsal dinner. Mr. P is very excited and has been designing the pins since we were first engaged! Fortunately, we both still have a lot of vendor contacts for those sorts of things.
I’m glad that we aren’t the only ones with different views! We became friends by debating the issues at work, so there weren’t any surprises once we started dating. We have fun with it. Its nice to challenge each other because it encourages us to learn more. There is nothing better than pulling out some new piece of information and hearing him go “uhhhh… noooooo….” He always gets me back though… until next time!
Same party, same candidate. I wouldn’t be happy in a relationship with someone with such hugely different political views than me, but my friend is happily married to a fiscal conservative, social moderate. (He voted Repub in 2000, Dem in 2004.) So marriage has brought them somewhat closer together in political views, although I’m not sure that she’s gotten any less liberal.
Good to know there are others dealing with this. My fiance is uber conservative, and I’m about as liberal as they come (well, maybe not fiscally). He claims he’s not a republican, but only because he works in government affairs and is disillusioned by both sides. Sometimes I get really frustrated by how conservative his views, and his family’s views, are but when they’re around, I keep my mouth shut, and he knows better than to say anything that will get me up in arms. Unless we’re drunk, we don’t argue about politics, and since he’s much better informed than I am, it’s a good thing. We try to focus on the things we have in common, and both basically subscribe to the notion that there are no real “good” guys in politics (we just differ in opinion on who the “better” guys are).
Mr beanchar was a-political when we met. As an historian, he was more concerned about the politics of 15th century Venice than what was going on in 21st century America. I am proud to say I brought him up-to-date and now he is even more enthusiastic and gung-ho than I am! He was the one that organized our trip to PA in 2004 to work for the Dems right before and on election day. (Kerry won in the precinct we worked!)
Like many of you, I can’t imagine being with someone who doesn’t share my political outlook, but I really admire those who find a way to make it work!
Same party, some-what same candidate. He tends to look at the overall package, while I research specific points and personal history (ie family life, religious belief, former jobs). Therefore if our candidate doesn’t get the party nomination, he will vote with the party no matter what. I’ll do more researching and complaining, and most likely vote with the party.
So eventually, we end up voting for the same person, I’m just ADD and have to see all my options.
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