Office Politics

There are many things that I loathe about the New Kid (I have even started to keep a list of things that irk me so that I can share them here with you all).

They include:

1. The way he plays "I Kissed a Girl" on repeat and even though he has on earphones I can hear it blasting through my little cubicle walls.
2. The way he sings along to "I Kissed a Girl" on repeat all day long.
3. The way he taps his foot along to "I Kissed a Girl" on repeat all day long.

I mean, I love Katy Perry ("Hot 'N Cold" is my new fave song) but the New Kid's love of Katy Perry is out of control. But of all the things that the New Kid does to annoy me, the biggest one of all is his love of talking about political agendas at work.

Let me set the scene. It is a rainy Tuesday morning about a month ago. I am soaking wet and not a happy camper because I left my rain boots under my desk...about a year ago...and never remember to bring them home. I'm cold, cranky, and I want to be snuggled in my covers watching Sex and the City movie for the 5th time since I bought it for $9.99 at Blockbuster this weekend. Instead, I step into a whirlwind of politics.

He and a few of the other online marketing team are discussing Sarah Palin and how she actually sounded like she knew how to put two sentences together at a debate she was at the night before. Which I responded to with a guffaw. Yes, a guffaw. I'm not going to repeat the whole conversation that was had here because it was heated. And mainly it was heated because what the New Kid is incapable of is listening to other opinions. He loves to insert himself into conversations and then take them over. And he lurves to talk over people. Making it impossible to get a word in edge wise. And he has to be right. All the freaking time. The funny thing is? We both are voting for Obama. But the New Kid brings out the bitch in me. I can't help but fight him on anything and everything.

So since then I have refrained from talking politics at work. Because really some subjects just shouldn't be talked about with people you need to have good relationships with in the future (and who you already want to strangle on a daily basis).

Then yesterday, I came to work and the New Kid had put up a huge "Vote Obama/Biden" campaign poster in his cubicle. I'm talking ginormous. He was immediately told to take it down because our office does not condone politicking in the work space.

Apparently it is distracting and takes away from the day-to-day tasks that we need to get done. Of course, this reason only made the New Kid angry so he busted out some Obama pins and stuck those to his cubicle. Which were quickly OK'ed because The Boss was wearing an identical one.

But it hit me that I had once agreed with the New Kid. While I did think it was excessive that he had a ginormous campaign poster in his cubicle, a few buttons urging people to vote isn't hurting the office. As long as the New Kid keeps his trap shut about his own political agenda, I think we can continue to agree that while campaigning for a certain candidate might not be work-friendly, urging your fellow employees to get out there and vote for the future of our country is noble.

And it made me like the New Kid for a hot sec. Until he started singing "I Kissed a Girl" again.