know your party

Happy Thursday!

Today's nightlife column is about talking politics on a date. Most people say it's generally a "don't" in a relationship's early stages, but avoiding those discussions seems a little more difficult during election season.

Even beyond dates, people seem more likely to bring up politics on the nightlife scene. Maybe even more so with me, because when I say I'm a journalist, they immediately assume I'm some authoritative source on all things political. At a recent Saturday night party, some guy out of the blue turned to me and said, "You're a reporter. What do you think about the election?"

I hate unprompted serious debates. The question I just mentioned generally gives hives.

It's not so much the speaking component of political discussions that I fear, but rather the fact that often you're expected to have a firm, substantiated stance on every facet of the political arena.

On some policy areas, my views are still evolving -- so much that I can't immediately answer every question with an emphatic tirade about what needs to be changed.

But I guess half the battle is just being open to the discussion itself, even if it comes in the middle of a Saturday night party. It's nice to know partiers are capable of debating something other than which kind of martini to order.

And I hope at least a few people get a little turned on when I publicly use the word "dichotomy."

For more about the election, read the Ledger's political blog here.