HILL STAFF VIEWS: Would You Date Somebody From That Other Party?

This may come as a shock to folks who think, if American politics in general is hyper-partisan, then congressional aides who are up to their eyeballs every hour in working for members of one party or the other must be even more so.

Well, that may or may not be true but would you think your typical Hill staff colleague would be open to the idea of dating somebody working for a senator or representative of the opposite party?

The folks at CNCT’s Capitol Pulse asked that very question recently and the results should be encouraging to everyone who worries about the loss of civility in Congress and politics everywhere.

Maybe the biggest surprise is that GOP staffers are significantly more open (67 percent) to going out with somebody on the Democrat side. Fewer than half (44 percent) of the folks on the Democratic side said yes to the question.

Among the yes voters, 73 percent of the males answered affirmatively but only 40 percent of the females. Interestingly enough, age doesn’t seem to make much difference as 67 percent of those over 30 said yes, as did 60 percent of the under 30 crowd.

On the “No” side were 56 percent of the responding Democratic staffers and only 33 percent of the Republican aides. Among communications staffers, 56 percent said no, compared to 41 percent of policy staffers.