When Politics Hits Home

ByABC News
October 19, 2004, 3:56 PM

Oct. 20, 2004 — -- Colin and Guy Fowler are identical twins. They served in the Navy together. Both work in information technology. And when it comes to the presidential election, each is passionately backing his candidate -- different ones, that is.

Colin, who lives in Flemington, N.J., is a diehard supporter of President Bush. Guy lives in Angier, N.C., and believes John Kerry is the man for the job. They've spent the campaign season battling in heated arguments on the phone and via e-mail, with no wavering on either side.

"It amazes me that we're twins," Colin said. "I just can't believe we had an identical upbringing and everything."

His brother is equally bewildered. "He's so far to the right, and I don't know how that occurred," Guy said.

In a politically divided America, presidential politics is being fought at the dinner table as much as it is on the campaign trail. Passions run high on both sides, and the 2004 contest is pitting husband against wife, parent against child and sibling against sibling, with many wondering where their relationships will stand after the votes are cast Nov. 2.

"This is truly a civil war," said Salem Pierce of Erie, Pa., in an e-mail, adding, "I used to love our family debates, but the intensity of this election is causing hurt feelings between many family members."

Carol and Ken Block, a newly married couple from Macungie, Pa., both responded to an ABC News query about "battleground households" -- without the other one knowing. They were just married in April, and Carol, a Bush supporter who describes herself as a "devout Christian right-wing conservative," said she almost did not walk down the aisle with Ken, a Democrat and Kerry fan. In matters of politics, things have been rough.

"I told him last week that I was going to divorce him," she told ABC News in a subsequent telephone interview, only half joking.

Ken said their "diametrically opposed" views have led to some tense moments. "It's always been a sore point in this marriage," Ken added. "It's very heated in here. We cannot watch a debate together. We cannot watch a news story it's a war. It gets loud, and it's not nice. I try not to do it a lot because we both get very upset."

The tension has affected Carol's 10-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, who is dreading the prospect of voting in a mock election at school. "She's scared to vote for either candidate," Carol said. "She's afraid we'll both kill her."

Living in the vital electoral state of Pennsylvania, the Blocks said it's hard to avoid the campaign, with signs posted throughout their community and everyone from friends to their pastor talking about it.