Skip to Content
Opinion

For This Week’s Open Thread, Tell Us: Do You Talk Politics With Your Family?

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Hey, it's Friday already! That means it's time once again for an Open Thread. And that means it's time for me to drum up another Open Thread topic.

So I've been thinking about the silly, overblown "Walz's for Trump" story, and how the latest swipe at the guv just reinforces his regular guy cred. As Em and others have pointed out, what could be more relatable that having family members with bad politics?

Me, I've been pretty fortunate in that respect. My brother and I have little to dispute, and our parents are dead, so we're spared seeing what direction they might have gone. I mostly drifted away from whatever MAGA aunts and uncles I have before they went off the deep end. And though like everyone I've watched some high school friends on Facebook go some pretty dark places, even my close friends who've slid a bit to the right are still solidly liberal.

How's about you? Do you get into screaming matches with relatives? Who starts it? Are some topics just off limits? Have you cut yourself off from anyone because of political differences? Have you ever changed someone's mind? Have they ever changed yours?

Of course, as I always say, you should feel free to ignore this prompt and just talk about whatever you want. This is your Open Thread after all.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

We’re in the Dome Days of Summer

Plus bad photoshop reveals a bad employee, drinking with grandma now more legal, and the lamest rave ever in today's Flyover news roundup.

No Need to Fest! There’s Plenty More in Your Complete Concert Calendar: July 14-20.

Pretty much all the music you can catch in the Twin Cities this week.

July 14, 2026

Just Paula’s ‘Minne-delphia’-Style BBQ Might Be the Best in Town

‘You taste the love,’ says co-founder and co-smoker Anthony Simmons.

July 14, 2026

Draining the Mississippi River Gorge: Will We Find Trash or Treasures?

From bodies to beer bottles, the freshly exposed riverbed would be littered with items from the past.

July 14, 2026

Wild MN Weather: BWCA Burning, Superior Chilling, Heat Dome Intensifying

Plus auditor candidate's fraud flub, LeBron sweepstakes heat up for Wolves, and RIP Doug Grow in today's Flyover news roundup.

Minnehaha Falls Art Fair, Drinking With Goats, Girl Tones: This Week’s Best Events

Plus free Shakespeare in a cidery parking lot (bring sunscreen).