How to Talk To A Republican

Do you ever find your conversations with Republican friends going nowhere? Follow the steps below to get the most out of your next discussion!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• Ideological Knowledge
• Open-mindedness

1. Read read read. The first step in talking to a Republican (or anyone, for that matter) is to make sure you know what you're talking about. Take some time to learn the foundation of the Republican ideology, as well as some history of the party and its leaders. Compare these findings to your own beliefs, and take mental note of similarities and differences.

2. Keep it simple. One key feature about the Republican ideology is that simplicity is always best. If you are reading this, chances are you don't agree. They may not acknowledge "grey area," so you must keep this in mind when stating your arguments. Providing open-ended arguments, to a Republican is a sign of mis-understanding or over-complication.

3. Do not get emotional. Another pillar of the Republican party is to involve their personal beliefs, opinions and biases into an argument. They are very morally driven. Don't get sucked in to this.

4. Respect their difference of opinion, and insist they do the same. It should go without saying that you will never agree with everyone. When talking to someone with a differing political view, it is important to remember this fact. Do your best to have a civil conversation, no matter how opposite your points of view seem to be. When you seem to hit a roadblock, agree to disagree.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware of current events! No matter who you're talking to, the quickest way to lose your footing is to be oblivious to what's going on around you.
• Do not try to persuade in the context of a casual conversation -- Present your ideas, listen to theirs and discuss new ones. Persuasion quickly turns personal, and often ugly.
• Do not resort to personal attacks or stereotypes. Thinking that every Republican is a wealthy, closed-minded simpleton is a sure-fire way to discredit your own arguments.
• All people are different! This article should by no means be taken as "Republicans in a nutshell," since everyone is unique -- whether Republican or Democrat.

[dthere]

on 7/2/2009 I meant 5 not 4 - 5 for effort

[dthere]

on 7/2/2009 Well, interesting idea for an article but there are a wide range of people who are Republicans - lots of variation just as there Democrats and people who affiliate with other parties. If you narrow your focus on a particular type of person with a particular idealogy, I think your article will be more effective but good attempt...4