A slight majority of my friends are Democrats. They know I'm a libertarian by political philosophy, so they give me a pass (they often end our political discussions by noting that). I often wonder how much benefit of the doubt I would get if I were a true GOP conservative.
Meanwhile, my Republican friends just keep their mouths shut in mixed company. I've looked over and watched them go tight lipped at tailgaters. One side is more tolerant than the other, and they know risking friendships by talking politics isn't worth it, but they fear our Democrat friends don't feel the same way. Sad that some of us feel we can't all be as open with each other as we were in college. But, the Left's tactic of silencing the Right does actually work.