Perhaps It Is Best Not to Socialize Over Politics

Since last July I have been attending Democratic debates and caucus/primary results. I think tonight's Super Tuesday watch party at RPM Underground in Midtown will be my last. 

As much as anything else I've gone to these gatherings to meet people. Although I have lived in NYC for nearly a year and a half I have yet to make any new friends. Of the gatherings I have attended the only place I have had any extended conversation was at RPM during the infamous Iowa Caucus last month. 

It was on that basis that I opted to go to RPM tonight. I had contemplated going back to the Black Sheep Pub as I had back in November. Lo and behold, the gathering was cancelled because of the Coronavirus or, more precisely, the fear of it.

I made a point of going to the same room I had been in the last time since it had been so conducive to conversation. There were four women there and they were later joined by a boyfriend from Paris. At first things were alright. I picked my spots and when I did my sense of humor had its moments. Perhaps my best was when the Parisian boyfriend said he was a germaphobe. To which I quipped, "A germaphobe? I thought you were from France." 

Things turned sour when discussing Elizabeth Warren's poor performance in Massachusetts. Two of the women blamed sexism. I cited Warren's character such as her false claims of Native American heritage. This produced a viscerally angry response from the women who had been by this time had been joined by this drunk fellow who had just moved back to the area from Virginia. He somehow turned the subject to Journey when he mentioned he had seen them open for Emerson, Lake & Palmer in Colorado in 1977. One of the women loved Journey. So I asked her what she thought of the lead singer who replaced Steve Perry. "How the fuck should I know?", she bellowed. I should add that she had become rather drunk herself. It was at this point I decided that things would not end well if I prolonged my stay. I didn't want to make a scene. So I waited five minutes and politely excused myself from the proceedings. 

Well, I gave it a good faith effort. Politics is a dead end. I'll just have to find other avenues of socialization like bowling. Speaking of which The Lousy Bowlers Club convenes tomorrow night. Joe Biden might have had a Super Tuesday. Perhaps a Super Wednesday is in store for me.