Politics at Thanksgiving? Candidates advise humor, more pie
Houstonian Kat McKinley is looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with her loved ones.
But like many citizens of this deeply divided nation, she’s worried that the political climate could cast a cloud over this week’s festivities.
Some of the guests who will gather around her table Thursday support President Donald Trump. Others are — shall we say — confident that the United States
House’s ongoing impeachment inquiry is both right and necessary.
McKinley, a conservative, has therefore decided to institute a strict no-politics policy at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.
“Anyone who mentions politics has to clean up,” she proclaimed.
She is also planning to confiscate all phones for the day.
This year’s Thanksgiving comes near the end of a very long and fractious year for our state and country. Even those of us who take an interest in politics are surely yearning for a break.
The men and women seeking local office in the city don’t have the option of taking one, for obvious reasons. The Houston mayoral election will be decided in a Dec. 14 runoff election, as will most of the city council races. Early voting begins on Wednesday.
So I decided to consult some of the candidates to see if they have any advice for Houstonians hoping to avoid conflict at this year’s Thanksgiving gathering.
Mayor Sylvester Turner, who faces a runoff against millionaire lawyer Tony Buzbee, is among those who can relate.
“As difficult as it is, the Turners have always stayed away from discussing politics around the Thanksgiving dinner table,” the mayor said. “We didn’t do it when our parents were still alive, and we don’t do it now. We focus on the fact that we are together with family and friends.”
Serious and divisive conversations are discouraged, Turner noted: “If someone tries to go there, they are encouraged to go get another slice of sweet potato pie.”
Sallie Alcorn, a longtime City Hall staffer and candidate for City Council At-Large 5 seat, says that she is no stranger to family food fights. She is one of four siblings, two Democrats and two Republicans.
“I think that the key is humor,” she told me. “Humor, pie and let’s not forget about wine!”
Her opponent in the runoff, lawyer Eric Dick, suggested that if you can’t distract any argumentative guests, you can always delay.
“Just be happy for what you
got, at least during the holiday season,” he said. “If you want to go fight, fight during some other time!”
Dick, who serves on the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees, has been known to enjoy a good dustup himself, from time to time. But he told me he’s changed over the years, especially since becoming a father. His daughters are now 3 and 6.
“I’m saddened by how polarized everything has gotten,” Dick said. “Any jaggedness, the kids finished me off.”
Council member Michael Kubosh, who represents At Large Position 3 and faces a runoff against community activist Janaeya Carmouche, expects politics to come up at his family gathering this year.
“I’m sure this year there’ll be
plenty of praying for me that I’ll win the runoff,” he explained.
But as the oldest member of the Kubosh clan, he continued, he plans to put the kibosh on any discussion of national politics.
“If somebody brings up something heated — my mom always said if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” Kubosh said.
“I think that around the Thanksgiving table we should be thankful for our government, which hopefully will be keeping us free, keeping us prosperous, whoever its leaders may be.”
But Mike Knox, who represents At-Large Position 1, vigorously disagrees with this approach to the holiday.
“Politics and religion is the keystone of our Thanksgiving Day dinners,” he told me.
“We do have some socialists in my family,” Knox continued, cheerfully, “and it does make for a spirited conversation, and an entertaining one.”
He suggested that anyone who is nervous about going down such a path might consider nominating a designated defuser.
“It just takes one person to say, ‘Hey, you know what, this isn’t going anywhere,’” Knox explained. “Then everybody just calms down and has another bite of turkey and moves on.”
His opponent in the runoff, attorney and former math teacher Raj Salhotra, is also skeptical of a no-politics policy.
“Well, you know, we do sometimes talk politics, and I wouldn’t say it goes ad hominem, but it can get aggressive!” he said, explaining that his father and sister have strong opinions, as does he.
But this year, Salhotra isn’t expecting the family gathering to get too contentious. “We do not have divided opinions on the impeachment inquiry, nor do we have divided opinions on who’s the best candidate for At-Large 1.”
His advice to Houstonians who dabble in political debates is to keep it clean.
“Do not, under any circumstances, devolve into ad hominem attacks,” Salhotra warned. “That’s a recipe for disaster.”
That’s good advice, even when it’s not Thanksgiving. And all the candidates I spoke to agreed on a few things.
Whichever approach your friends and family take to the holiday conversation, be thankful for their presence around the table this year — and don’t forget to eat, drink, vote and be merry.