The loudest cries and public laments over "political division" rarely come from the people actually attempting to heal the divide. A perfect example came this week on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast, where Molly McNearney, the wife of Jimmy Kimmel, revealed that she has cut ties with several members of her own family.
Their severe offense? Voting for Donald Trump.
McNearney explained that before the 2024 election, she sent out emails to her conservative relatives begging them not to vote for Trump. While most ignored her, she said some wrote back things that could only be described as "truly insane." And when they didn't conform their choices to her preferences, she severed relationships.
McNearney insists this is all a matter of "values," rather than politics. But if you listen closely to the language she uses, something more profound comes into focus. She describes her relatives as being "deliberately misinformed," as though they've fallen under the spell of some dark force. She says their vote wasn't just a choice she disagreed with, but a personal betrayal of her, her husband, and their family. She even talks about wanting to be "deprogrammed," as though she escaped a cult but her relatives are still trapped inside.
That's the language of religion, not political disagreement.
It's evidence of something that is happening far beyond one Hollywood household. When politics becomes a kind of substitute religion, dissent turns into heresy, and heresy demands excommunication. Notice who did the cutting-off here. No one excommunicated Molly. She excommunicated them.
Liberals are far more likely than conservatives to refuse to date someone outside their political tribe (see here and here).
They're far less willing to live with a roommate who votes differently (see here and here).
They are far less likely to remain friends with someone who doesn't share their political views (see here, here, and here).
As the tribe gets smaller, and the boundaries get tighter, ordinary people start describing relatives as if they're diseased.
When you elevate politics to the place of ultimate meaning, everyone who disagrees becomes morally suspect. Voting becomes a test of purity. Family becomes conditional. And sacrifices must be made.
The saddest part is that McNearney seems to recognize her own misery. She says she's angrier than ever, lonelier than ever, and wishes she could "deprogram" her emotions so she wouldn't feel the constant strain.
That's exactly how idols work.
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