You know the saying, “opposites attract?” Well, I can certainly attest to that fact. I’m not talking about food choices, taste in music, social media habits or personalities (ok a bit). I’m talking about politics.
Take media personalities and political strategists, Mary Matalin and James Carville. Ms. Matalin was a Republican until last May when she announced that she had switched her party registration to Libertarian; while Mr. Carville is a Democrat.
But it’s not just as simple as being a Democrat and Republican with these two. Mr. Carville was a lead strategist on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and an adviser on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign. His wife, Ms. Matalin, served under President Ronald Reagan, was campaign director for George H.W. Bush's Campaign director, assistant to President George W. Bush, and was an assistant and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney.
I remember the first time I saw them on CNN, debating policies and going head to head. I didn’t know they were married. It was impossible to tell because they did not look like a married couple (I’m not trying to say that married couples look/act a certain way, but it was hard to tell!) But I liked their banter. When I found out that they had been married since 1993, of course, I was shocked, but I wasn’t surprised.
Opposites attract, don’t they?
Which brings me to Guru. He likes to say that he’s an Independent, but that’s what most closeted Republicans like to say. After all, we do live in New York, one of the most liberal cities in the country. Of course, he won’t admit that he’s a Republican to someone like me (liberal: now and forever) but I’m onto him. I am. We’ve had some lengthy, heated (conversations) when it comes to politics. Sometimes, I feel like strangling him, but I won’t. I’m very tolerant of people with different views than me.
In all honesty, I’ve learned a lot from Guru. Sometimes, we limit ourselves when we only listen to people who agree with us. And he’s not one of those wacky Republicans. He’s a decent guy. He’s one of the good ones.
So, here’s to opposites who attract and make it work!