MINNEAPOLIS — Could you date or marry someone with opposing political views?
Though this type of relationship isn't for everyone, one Minnesota couple has been making it work.
KARE 11 Sunrise Anchor Jason Hackett spoke to Rick Hotchner and Barbara Thomas. They've been together for nearly two decades, and Hotcher is conservative while Thomas is liberal.
The married couple said it hasn't been easy navigating those political differences. The 2020 election was one of their most challenging years as a couple.
Along the way, Hotchner and Thomas say they've learned the importance of communication, and the idea of not seeing people as their party but rather as individuals.
“One of my main lightbulb moments along the way that I think has helped with our relationship is, I need to understand where Barbara is coming from,” Hotchner said. “What does she actually believe. Not the caricatures of what liberals believe.”
“Seeing it from their perspective doesn't mean that you're going to end up agreeing with them,” Thomas said. “You might. But more often, you just have a clear, truer understanding of what your differences are.”
Hotchner and Thomas are volunteers at the grassroots organization Braver Angels that works to bridge the partisan divide in our country.
Thomas said the rhetoric and language surrounding the election is concerning.
“Consequential is one thing, but the apocalypse is something else,” Thomas said. “And the idea that it's going to destroy the country. That kind of rhetoric I think is super dangerous. And I think it's dangerous because it's a pretty short step from that to justifying violence.”