How to Talk Politics at Parties
Impress People & Sound Like an Authority on Policy, Issues, and News
Feb 4, 2009
The old rule, "never talk about politics or religion (or sex or money)" at parties and dinner tables, went the way of the buffalo when the 2008 election barreled into the American political arena. Today, politics is talked about, texted about, blogged about, and dreamed about everywhere, by everyone from high school students to Wall Street CEOs.
For the politically-uninformed, there is hope. Here are the key facts and players to know in order to keep up with social conversation.
The Very Basics
Before the fun stuff (the scandals, filibusters, and punditry), it's important to establish a basic knowledge of politics in the U.S.
Most people learn in grade school that there are three branches to the United States government--the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch--as set forth in the United States Constitution (Articles I, II, and III). The Executive Branch refers to the presidency. The Legislative Branch refers to the U.S. Congress, which is divided into the U.S. Senate (100 members, two from each state, serving six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (435 members, proportionate to a state's population, serving two-year terms). The Judicial Branch is comprised of the Supreme Court and its nine Justices (appointed for life by a sitting president).
The two-party system in the United States--the Democratic and Republican parties--divide the political landscape: Democrats tend to be more progressive, while Republicans tend to be more conservative. This is why legislative issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control are typically voted on along party lines, though some legislators have a more independent voting record and swing left (toward Democrats) on some issues and right (toward Republicans) on the other.
Key Players
Two-thirds of the United States government--the Executive and Legislative branches--are currently controlled by Democrats, meaning their party holds the majority of elected offices. In addition to President Barack Obama, powerful Democrats in Washington include Vice President Joe Biden (second in line to the presidency), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (third in line to the presidency), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Republican leadership includes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner.
Interesting Facts to Bring Up in Political Conversation
If a conversation develops regarding the war in Iraq and who voted for/against it, one can say:
"Did you know that 29 Democrats in the Senate voted to authorize the war, including Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, (former Senate Majority Leader) Tom Daschle, John Edwards, John Kerry, (former Democrat and now Independent) Joe Lieberman and (current Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid? Not a single Republican voted against it, but Democrats who did included (current Majority Whip) Dick Durbin and Ted Kennedy."
In conversations about American political families, one can add:
"Six members of the Bush family have served in politics (two as president, two as governors, one as a senator, one as an advisor to President Hooever, and one for the Chamber of Commerce). The Kennedy family has had ten members in politics (one as a president, three as senators, one as an attorney general, three as U.S. representatives, one as lieutenant governor, one as a state legislative delegate, one as the First Lady of California, and two as U.S. ambassadors). Seven Kennedys died in tragic accidents (assassination, plane crashes, drug overdose and skiing accident)."
"Republican Governor and action movie hero Arnold Schwarzenegger is married to a Kennedy: Maria Shriver, daughter of JFK and RFK's sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver."
"Former Clinton administation advisor and outspoken liberal host of CNN's 'Crossfire' James Carville is married to Bush administration assistant and Republican political consultant Mary Matalin."
In conversations about long-standing political tenures, here is an interesting fact to share:
"Senator Ted Kennedy has served in the U.S. Senate for 47 years. Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virignia has actually served longer: for 50 years. He is 92 years old."
Stay Informed
To stay up on current events, budding politicos should read national newspapers with strong political beats, like the New York Times and Washington Post. National Public Radio and C-SPAN television also offer broad, relatively unbiased coverage of day-to-day political events.
