Thanksgiving dinner
As a large family we almost undoubtedly talk about politics on every occasion we get together. I honestly like it because it usually leads to lively debates. On almost every issue there is a stark contrast between the boomers and millennials in the family. There are never any hurt feelings though.
Thoughts in Time
Not a question, I miss your ™what's on your mind" segments. However, I am not sure why they no longer happen, but I suspect that it may be due to your past affiliation with the Hill. I think the BP crew would benefit if there was a separate weekly show where the commentators would share share their opinion on the subject/issue of their choice. Maybe, released on Fridays.
Thanksgiving Advice
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, and despite all efforts by the elite class, democracy still runs deep here. But democracy is not about checking boxes every two or four years. At its core, it's about people talking about hard issues and coming to terms with them in rational, productive, peaceful ways. You demonstrate that beautifully on your show, which is why I love it. So no, I will not shy away from politics at Thanksgiving. I will, however, contribute my POV in as loving and graceful a way as I can muster, in hopes of engaging my fellow diners rather than alienating them.
Advice for Thanksgiving
I like comparing both political parties to having gangrene on both of your feet. Democrat gangrene on one foot and republican gangrene on the other. Sure, you can argue that one foot is more or less rotten than the other, but if you start unrelentingly rooting for one side of gangrene or the other you look ridiculous pretty quickly. At that point everyone should just laugh it off and unite over how great mashed potatoes and gravy are.
Thanksgiving
Me and my dad actually love debating and are pretty good at being passionate without taking things personally. However, my mom has a hard time differentiating between debating and arguing. My sister is a pretty standard tech industry mainstream democrat. She only occasionally gets snippets of things and will often look to me for more info since she know I pay more attention. I'll probably get into a debate during Thanksgiving, but, thankfully, it's unlikely to turn into an argument. However, if I was around family that couldn't handle it, I would keep my geopolitical views to myself.