What to Know
For some, there has never been a bigger time than now that a surprising number of friends in real life and on social media have shown their cards when it comes to politics. And, according to a man on TikTok, Kole, there are ways to tell when a friend is “soft launching” being a Republican to let you know exactly where they stand without saying it too outright.
With the intersection of politics and human rights being a very real issue, it’s not really possible anymore to “just stay out of things.” And, if that’s one friend’s stance, then another friend might see them as the problem. Really, in the words of DJ Khalid, they play themselves in doing that. But, per Kole’s video on TikTok, there are other tells that give away a friend being a Republican.
@koles_kingdom Always a soft launch #relatable #comedysketch #jokes #humour #fyp ♬ Jazz Bossa Nova – TOKYO Lonesome Blue
Newly Republican friends always come at you with the “we should all get along” line.
There are few things as awkward or uncomfortable as having specific liberal or left-wing views and ideas about politics and trying to share those with a friend, only to be met with something totally different than what you expected. According to Kole in his video, there are even specific things those friends say that alert you to their actual political and social belief system.
“I just feel like everyone needs to get along,” he says, as one thing people say to soft launch their political beliefs. Another, he adds, is “I mean, not like everything about politics, you know?”
He also says that another major tell is when someone says, “There’s bad people on both sides.” Which one of us hasn’t heard a friend say that or seen a friend on social media post that in an attempt to appear neutral? Another common one you might hear is that, in reference to Donald Trump, “He’s pretty good, like, business-wise, you know?” I mean, maybe that would fly in 2016, but there is no longer a solid point that would change most minds about Trump.
After Kole shared his video, other people commented to add their own lines about what friends say when they want to casually launch their Republican political views. Sure, some people are more outspoken about what they believe and which politicians they trust. But for those who want to slide in unexpectedly and slowly roll out their beliefs, that’s where these one-liners come in.
Chances are, you’ve heard some of these.
“You gotta admit he’s funny though,” one person commented, as something someone might say in reference to Trump.
Another added, “‘I am not really a political person’ has to be my favorite.”
“‘Ending a friendship over politics is crazy,'” someone else wrote, as another angle someone might take to soft launch their political beliefs. Then, they added, “You don’t even wanna live in the same state as people who speak [a] different language than you.”
