It turns out our political differences have not only dealt a blow to our democratic institutions, our reputation around the world, and the future of this planet, but to our romantic prospects, too, according to a new report out from The Beat with Ari Melber. A merry Monday to all.
Last week, Melber delved into love’s partisan divide and found that 71 percent of Tinder users believe political differences are a deal-breaker, 60 percent of people on Match.com report they’re not as open to a relationship across political lines as they were just two years ago, and OkCupid has discovered a 30 percent increase in users’ desire for “same politics” over “good sex.”
“We weren’t expecting the numbers to be this high,” Melber says. “It shows this incredible emphasis that people, especially young people, are putting on politics in who they date and what they’re looking for in a mate.”
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But while there’s reason to believe that partisanship has led to a breakdown in government and — yippee — an erosion of national trust, Melber’s not so sure it’s bad for people to hold their political convictions dearer than they do their preference for potential interests who share their love of books or sports teams. “Politics in the Trump era has infused the culture, and it has become for many people a test of values,” Melber says. It’s not the same, Melber explains, as “a debate over how to fill a pothole in your neighborhood. Because though a difference of opinion may decide which city council candidate you vote for, it tends not to affect “who you go to dinner with or who you date at all.”
On his show, Melber was joined by Liz Plank, a political correspondent at Vox, and Dr Helen Fisher, a senior research fellow at The Kinsey Institute and an advisor to Match.com, both of whom affirm that politics can and should factor in relationships. “Sex is only part of a partnership,” Fisher said on The Beat, “whereas your values permeate everything.”
From: ELLE USA
