'We just don't talk about it:' Many hope to avoid talking politics over turkey this Thanksgiving

North Carolinians may be a little more divided on the matter. In a statewide poll by Elon University, 28 percent said they’re more likely to talk politics this year, while 45 percent said they’re less likely.

At Trophy Brewing on Thursday, the 10K Trophy Trot race mascot, Lars, got a pardon but runners Ashley Hutchinson and Jessica Seate already know they won’t be that lucky when it comes to talking politics this holiday.

“We have some diverse opinions on politics. We’ve had some divisions in the family over the past year or so. I’m a little worried,” Hutchinson said.

“The family I’m going to visit, he likes to poke. We’re on opposite sides, so he likes to poke the bear and see if he can get me riled up and he usually does,” Seate said.

Runners Dave Bishop, Casey Degnan and Josh Franceschina said they plan to avoid the topic, though it may prove difficult.

“It’s divisive now. People are looking at it from a very wide spectrum. We’re very far apart,” Bishop said.

“Definitely with the Trump presidency, I think the division has gotten wider and wider,” Degnan said.

“It just seems like with our current president, there’s a lot of things in the news. Everybody wants to make comments about this and that. It’s definitely going to come up everywhere,” Franceschina said.

Crystal Higgins and Allison Phillips said their families never even bring up politics.

“We usually don’t have any issues with that. Most everybody’s pretty tight lipped when it comes to that sort of thing,” Higgins said.

“My parents don’t vote, so I tell them ‘y’all can’t say anything.’ My grandparents, we just don’t talk about it,” Phillips said.

Don McGlohan said his family won’t bring up politics either, but maybe more people should be open to the discussion.

“I think it’s going in the wrong direction. They need to talk more. Nobody will sit down and talk, I think that’s the problem,” he said.

Many said they believe it is impolite to discuss politics at the table, especially when guests are present.