Perhaps there are some conservatives fed up with the “progressive” practice these past few years of rudely commandeering family gatherings to prate, pressure, and proselytize their loved ones over politics.

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Smug, feckless, chestless “Pajama Boy” was the worst example of this mentality. It idolized this vision of a self-satisfied, naive perpetual adolescent living off his parents, with no other task in life than to hector them in between sips of a sugary child’s beverage about how society should be.

(Aside: How would such a person act if society rejected their vision? Oh, riiiiiight.)

I can’t imagine, but perhaps there are some so fed up with it that after Election 2016 they might feel the need to “Trump” them in this noxious game of Rude Progressive Pinochle.

My advice is constant:

Don’t.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Set a good example in your family. Today’s hectoring naif may, as maturity creeps in, realize the wisdom of your choice and adopt it even if he doesn’t abandon his political preferences.

As I wrote back in 2012:


It used to be understood that proper dining etiquette was to avoid controversial topics, especially politics.

Rudeness aside, these regrettable dining companions are also costing themselves valuable, cherishable experiences. It would be a shame for them to go throughout life without realizing what unlikely friends Stanley Fish and Dinesh D’Souza did.

As Fish perceives, there are more important things to life than politics. Breaking bread with friends is one of the greatest.

Politics is, of course, a part of life. So are the activities that take place in bathrooms, and they aren’t polite subjects either, as necessary as they are for the health of the body. Politics is messy, dirty, foul, and entirely necessary for the body politic, but that doesn’t mean we should revel in it or worse, exalt it.

As Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” And there we find family, friends, food, music and the arts, sports, and so on, and yes, even politicians and political accomplishments, but none to the detriment of the rest.

There are so many things in life more important than politics. Don’t trade them in sight unseen in favor of a meaningless cheap shot over pumpkin pie.