ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2008 > January > 23
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Watch that debate? Presidential election talk at work…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A USA Today/Gallup Poll published in USA Today last week indicated that 62% of people surveyed were enthusiastic about voting for President in this year’s election. With the tight race between Hillary and Obama and the horse race going on over on the Republican side of the ticket, there is definitely a lot to talk about.
It is hard to escape the election with plasma TV’s tuned to CNN are everywhere. The election surrounds us in office hallways, elevators, airport gate areas and restaurants.
I love to engage in a good dialogue and think we can challenge our assumptions, learn about candidate positions and discover what is most important to us when we size up the candidates together. It is also the privilege of living in a democracy which allows us to debate.
I usually throw out a starter question and feel out if a person is following the election news. Brian, my hair designer and I had a spirited 30 minute session today on Hillary and Obama and he told me he likes to talk about politics with his clients because it broadens his perspective.
On the other hand, some office settings are off limits and don’t encourage this type of talk. There might even be a judgment made about you that could be career limiting. So like religion, it might be best in these places to avoid election talk.
When I am unsure, I tread lightly with work colleagues until we get to know each other. At a recent holiday party where I was pretty confident the crowd was of a different political persuasion, I found myself consciously lowering my voice and glancing around when discussing my views on the election with a few friends.
I imagine the talk will heat up before the primary on Feb. 5th. My question is, should you bring political discussions into the workplace? Are you frustrated if you can’t?
