Can you be friends with someone who holds political views opposed to yours?

How successful have you been at setting aside politics to maintain friendships? If you know someone who is vehemently pro-gun while you favor gun control, can you overlook that? If you know someone who is pro-life while you are pro-choice, do you just avoid talking about it and still stay buddies?

What if someone you know and respect reveals they are supporting Trump? Can you still look at them the same way? When it comes to the latter, I just can't. I simply can't. Anyone who backs Trump's simplistic, divisive rhetoric is not a person I want to spend any more time with than I absolutely have to.

Maybe that makes me the small-minded individual, but I draw the line at the Donald.

It's easy to boo, but it is harder to look your kids in the face...

If you could ask Trump anything...

You might get your chance this Wednesday. He'll be doing a Reddit AMA! Should be a gong show!

Seriously, if you could ask anything, like "When exactly did you sell your soul to the devil?", what question would you pose?

http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/25/12270738/donald-trump-reddit-ama-democratic-national-convention

Does Bernie have a place in a Hillary administration?

Does Senator Sanders quietly fade into the background after Hillary enters the White House or is there a role for him in Hillary's cabinet?

Secretary of Education? Secretary of Labor? Head of the Environmental Protection Agency?

Or would he pose too many problems for Hillary because he's too outspoken over issues that they disagree on?

Open carry in Canada

FU*K DONALD TRUMP, the rap anthem

This is a new theme song for the UG. Don't play this in front of the kiddies. Strong language warning!!!

Melania's speech writer identified

In-house staff writer Meredith McIver says she wrote the speech. Offered her resignation, but Trump declined it. He says she doesn't have to go. This is breaking news on CNN.

Some of the text from a statement McIver wrote addressing the plagiarism:

"Over the phone, she (Melania) read me some passages from Mrs. Obama's speech as examples. I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech. I did not check Mrs. Obama's speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused Melania and the Trumps, as well as to Mrs. Obama. No harm was meant."

Who's the future of the GOP?

There's quite a bit of Paul Ryan 2020 sentiment out there. As a Democrat, is there anyone you see on the horizon for the Republicans who you find tolerable? Anyone with vision and principles that don't turn your stomach?

And if you had a choice between Trump and Ryan today, who is the lesser of the evils?

Checking in

Hello all. I have now posted 10 times and a whole new world has opened up to me: I can post more than once every 3 minutes and I can start threads!

Only 40 more posts (actually 39 after this one goes up) and I can use the mail system. Woohoo!!!!

For anyone who's curious, I am a Canadian in his early 40s with a great interest in contemporary American politics. Please don't quiz me on U.S. events of the 1800s (although, like any proud Canuck, I am aware of the War of 1812)! My user name is a play off of our Liberal P.M. Justin Trudeau, who does not walk on water but is a huge improvement over Stephen Harper.

Anyway, back to the madness online. Cheers!