United we stand. Divided we fall. Not only as a nation, but also as a family. While partisan factions face off with unprecedented vigor on Capitol Hill, so do husbands and wives whose differing political views may be more than their marriages can handle. Are we headed for an increasing divorce rate over the next four years?
Him or me: Take your pick
Gayle McCormick of Bellingham, Washington, was shocked when her husband of 22 years revealed that he planned to vote for Trump. Describing herself as a “Democrat leaning toward socialist,” she could not bear to stay with someone whose views on civil liberties and women’s rights were so different from her own.
Her husband eventually opted to write in New Gingrich instead, but McCormick said the damage was done. “It really came down to the fact that I needed to not be in a position where I had to argue my point of view 24/7. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life doing that.”
“If you vote for Trump…”
Kerry Maguire was entirely serious when she told her husband, Thomas Stossel, “If you vote for Trump, I will divorce you and move to Canada.” The couple had disagreed on presidential elections before, but never on this level of intensity.
Ultimately, Stossel voted for the Libertarian candidate to salvage his “intellectual reputation.” In doing so, he may have salvaged his marriage.
A leopard doesn’t change its spots
Anna Sproul-Latimer knew all too well that she had married a man with Tea Party beliefs. “I loved him and still love him,” said Sproul-Latimer, “but at the same time, I had to resist my first instinct, which was to say, ‘gross.’”
The couple found middle ground on social issues, particularly those involving school choice and LGBT rights, but the most recent presidential election pitted Sproul-Latimer and husband Matt Latimer against each other.
“At several points in our marriage, I’ve wondered if our political views reveal fundamental differences in what we believe, what’s right and what’s wrong,” said Sproul-Latimer.
Latimer, on the other hand, said, “I never viewed my support or lack of support for Mr. Trump as something that would affect my marriage. But if she thinks by not supporting Trump I’ll be moving in her direction, she’s incorrect. We’ve supported different candidates before and will continue to do so.”
