Julie Sanchez, business representative in Orcutt, California, recently celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary, a milestone she was unable to reach, given the recent tension that politics has brought to her marriage.
Political polarization presents such a challenge that Maureen Tara Nelson, owner of MTN Matchmaking founded in New York and Florida, says her clients ask to be paired only with other people with similar political opinions. “My motto in the afterlife was “working in combination and agreeing not to agree,” but it got to the point where other people hate the other aspect of politics,” he said. “And if they hate them, how can they just pass out on them?”
Eighty-four percent of singles employing Dating.com would probably not even date someone with opposing political views, said Maria Sullivan, vice president of the dating site. In the third quarter, he said, the site recorded a 51% increase in mail searches across political parties. And OkCupid’s global communications chief, Michael Kaye, said the platform’s politically variety questions had gained over a hundred million answers.
Differing opinions can add a layer of passion to a relationship, said Susan Trombetti, a matchmaker based in Washington. “You don’t want a carbon copy of yourself because it would be boring,” Trombetti said, adding that she tells clients “if Mary Matalin and James Carville can find love together, you shouldn’t narrow your options.” She warns that refusing to cross party lines may weed out viable candidates.
A date with different perspectives can be fruitful, but only if a couple can be informed to talk about their reviews without being underestimated, said Maya Ezratti, a dating coach founded in South Florida. Advise partners to leave excessive prospects out of the home. “Love trumps politics when it’s oriented to dating,” he says.