Knowing people in real life is huge because it's a big disincentive to being a jerk to them even if you disagree. One of the things I kind of enjoy about local

Knowing people in real life is huge because it's a big disincentive to being a jerk to them even if you disagree. One of the things I kind of enjoy about local politics where I live is that it's a "repeated game". It's a small enough town that the other actors are people you'll encounter day to day and have to get along with, so even if you vehemently disagree with them, you need to keep it civil.