I would comply politely, UNTIL someone else made a political opinion statement. Then I would briefly wait for the host to call them out on it, and if they didn't I would take the gloves off, so to speak.

I'd have been a good guest.

I avoid it with all but a handful of people.

Yeah...I don't think I would have lasted 4 hours under those conditions.

As long as nobody else said anything stupid I probably would have done the same. Did everybody else follow that rule?

Good for you ! The plan was for a pleasant afternoon and you chose to abide by the hostess' request .

Followed orders. I am severely outnumbered where I live and with my friends, so we are always zero politics. Which is one of the reasons I spend so much time here and on Twitter -- it's how I stay SANE amongst the delusional (whom I love dearly).

Science is a good starter ... I find if, when there is a pause in the discussion about new kitchens/cruise deals/leaky swimming pools/etc ... to ask, innocently "Do you know why your shit is brown?" tends to swing the conversation down to levels I'm more comfortable with... either that, or people start leaving...

Left!

I might have said something & if it made a scene left! This is how the Nazis took over in the 1940's & I think that it is something that needs to be addressed before they create more division.

Sometimes.....ya just have to take a deep breath and hold your tongue

I usually relate how I overheard a couple of immigrant coworkers/friends talking saying ‘you can’t talk about politics at work ‘ ( I was their supervisor) oh and this was during Obama campaign
I said you certainly can!
You just have to expect someone to disagree, and be graceful when they do. Let them talk too. Just be nice - if people aren’t nice- don’t play with them!

I'd have done the same.....and if someone did want to being it up I'd have asked them not to and reminded them we're here to have a good time and there's no need for me to make them look bad

I would have said something like Trump is an imbecile that's going to get us all killed and then told anyone that wanted to disagree not to say anything so She doesn't get upset because she doesn't want to talk about politics then yell at them for bringing it up in the first place.

I have to be cautious about political discussions now that I am going to run for the Mayor's seat in the local elections.

Unless everyone at the party or in hearing distance is on the same political wavelength, it's really for the best to not discuss politics. About a year ago,a diehard Trump supporter told me how they were so glad Trump had won and they voted for him because they hate Hillary. I told him he was stupid. The converstaion deteriorated from there. I learned it's better to talk about Game of Thrones and Walking Dead with radical right tea party facebook friends. Things are too hyperpartisan for rationale political talk unless you have a politically homogenous audience.

It's a tough one. The Irish PM, who I don't like is nonetheless not a megalomanic boor. He isn't contemplating invading Venezuela. He is not racist. He opposes caging kids. So, in an Irish context, avoiding political debate when asked is something I'd probably do.

I feel with your president, political coversations however unwelcome, are essential. But only if they are effective. Challenging hardliners sometimes reinforces their views.

Your experience reminds me of this rather good story.

Margarita Ville here i come...woo.hoo!

Followed orders, had fun, drank a little, ate a little and tried to talk to everyone.

If you can't talk politics then the only things left to discuss are money, religion and sex. Knock yourself out and maybe they'll switch the topic back to politics.

I would have suggested religion as a topic.

I am very blue, and live in a red state. Sometimes I have to stifle urges to share my viewpoint.