Friends Over Party Labels 2: Jason Buckley

First time I wrote about this, I did it to protect my friend Alexandra and her Dad from the New York Post.


They did indeed stop after I wrote the post.

Lesson: Don't doubt the Power of My Words.

Motivational Poster Maker


Now, after a crazy week where I was betrayed by someone whom:

A) I trusted since he was a friend of a friend (thus I knew him in real time);
B) I did a major favor for him against his bete noir post-election (with a possible hit to my own reputation) without even a "Thank you," or benefit of the doubt on anything, in return;


However, this post is about a guy who disagrees with me on just about everything politically, yet is a good friend.

We both operated in DC as interns, me on the Hill for Rep. Zimmer (R-NJ-12) and Rep. Dan Miller (R-FL-13) during the 90's, and he was at the Democratic National Committee for the 2000 Election.  He stood up for his beliefs (even when he disagreed with his own party) and made a cool movie (Buy it)

He was here at the earlier iterations of the Valley, and I'm proud to call him a friend.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jason Buckley, IT guy, musician and humorist.

As a partisan, he gets that politics is people.  Jason is a professional in the field (even as he denies that he isn't); he can argue for issues and make me the butt of the joke so even I can laugh.

We've had some knock down, drag out fights, but he always respected my humanity (and the humanity of the people I'm trying to work with), so yes, my friend Jason "gets it,"

I think we're like "The Odd Couple," of California Political commentators: he settled down with a family in the Bay Area and I'm looking for a cute Goth girl to settle down with.  I support his goals to make lots of money to support his family, and he supports my goals to work with the California Republican party and Republicans on the Hill and (eventual) White House.

We don't have to agree on political visions to be friends, we just have to agree to support each other in our goals.  

Last week, I posted a Day by Day comic and we both laughed at each other for our disagreement.  That's the way the world works.  I don't have to agree with him, or vice versa, but we work towards our goals, supportive of each other.

While he is a big fan of #Occupy Wall Street (he is supporting #occupyOakland -- or occupying folks who agree with them, that's another post) and I am a tea partier, he gets that America lives under a Two Party system.

Now, if it were up to me, Apple, Lucasfilms or Google would hire him for 6 figures tomorrow.  (Hint hint).

So even though we disagree, we're still friends. 

That's the way politics is done for real. 

My question: How many political friendships across the political line do you have?