Politics, money, religion. Three topics the Miss Manners in you is supposed to steer the f*ck away from in all social predicaments where peace is prioritized. However, seeing as most interesting conversations inadvertently lead back to one of these three topics, sitting in front of someone with no opinions on politics, money or religion, would lead me to believe they are less of a Miss Manners and more of a Miss-Still-Waiting-For-That-GED.

Considering the befuddling progression of the current US election, political discourse, in particular, has become an integral part of every dinner conversation, secondary only to the menu options. That said, how does this affect the already-perplexing dynamic of dating, where two people are not simply exchanging opinions, but evaluating each other on those insignificant things such as, you know, compatible values? Are opposing political views a crystal ball of doom, or could they play into the whole ‘opposites attract’ adage? Curious to find an answer to these taxing questions, I decided to grill my friends, singles and couples alike, on their stance on this matter!

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Photo by Corey Hayes

“You have to meet Jasmine Lobe. You guys write about the same thing and you would love her.” If I had a few bucks for every time I heard these words, I could probably afford a new pair of snow boots. (My desires these days are simple.) Googling Jasmine, I was hesitant. To start, she happens to be a much better – not to mention ballsier – writer than myself, having been granted none other than Candace Bushnell’s former sex column at the New York Observer. Secondly, she looks more like a Victoria’s Secret Angel than a regular human, making me wonder what we could possibly have in common. As it turns out, more than I thought! After meeting for a casual chat, Jasmine and I become fast friends, and I spared no time coaxing her into a Dbag Dating interview. Last week, we sat down at the Ludlow Hotel and quickly found ourselves in a moving two-hour conversation about feminism, the power of positive thinking and the stigma of showing the real you. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present to you the longest interview of all time with the one and only, amazingly talented The J-Spot columnist, JASMINE LOBE. (It’s worth every minute, I promise.)

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