Politics Leads to Breakups for Two 'Love Is Blind' Couples—or Was There Another Reason?
The reality show serves as a reflection of a significant national divide regarding politics.
TroibNews 
Love may be blind, but politics has X-ray vision.
This was the unexpected takeaway from Netflix's dating show *Love is Blind*, which wrapped its eighth season this month with a political twist: During the climactic wedding ceremonies, two liberal women rejected their fiancés due to mismatched values. “I’ve always wanted a partner to be on the same wavelength,” one contestant expressed, tears streaming down her face as she faced her wedding gown. “And so today I can’t.”
Despite being filmed a year earlier, this season's portrayal of young singles grappling with political divides echoed current gender dynamics in politics. Women aged 18-29 predominantly supported Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, while young men largely represented Trump’s backing. As the online manosphere champions Trump’s aggressive techniques, the chasm between these political identities only seems to widen.
*Love is Blind* also highlighted a growing challenge: politics has transformed into an identity, a tribe, a reflection of personal values, and these divides seep into our romantic relationships. According to a 2020 study from the Institute for Family Studies, only 21 percent of marriages today are politically mixed—a significant decline from four years ago—and just 4 percent consist of registered Democrats and Republicans.
This divide became evident in the social media discussions surrounding *Love is Blind*, where fans rallied behind contestants who matched their political identities. Comments ranged from derisive remarks about MAGA supporters to complaints about "radical leftist" contestants, lamenting that political differences rendered relationships untenable. One commenter on the jilted groom’s Instagram post warned, “Never date a liberal girl again.”
However, a closer look at the relationships—one that I undertook so you don’t have to—reveals a simpler, perhaps sadder truth. Ultimately, what troubled the women on *Love is Blind* was not merely the political differences but the men’s reluctance to engage in discussions about these issues. As politics infiltrates all aspects of life—even absurd reality TV dating shows—many individuals seem to be losing the ability or desire to converse about these topics in a non-contentious manner. *Love is Blind* mirrors this reality: a glimpse into the frustrations that arise when we can’t engage in political discourse.
The show, both needlessly cruel and highly engaging, is built on the idea that two people can fall in love without ever seeing each other. For ten days, contestants "date" in adjoining rooms known as pods. Through opaque walls, they engage in conversations reminiscent of late-night talks in college dormitories, ranging from flirtation to introspective exchanges. By the end of the process, some contestants decide to marry—yes, marry—before meeting face-to-face in a dramatic reveal. The stakes here are low, considering that the contestants chosen for a Netflix reality show are sure to be relatively attractive.
The reveal, however, is just the beginning. The series thrusts its couples into wedding planning, compacting a typical courtship into a whirlwind of six weeks. They cohabitate, shop for wedding dresses, enjoy bachelor parties, and ultimately arrive at a formal ceremony where they must declare “I do” or “I don’t.” Unsurprisingly, the show has a dismal record for actual marriages, as relationships formed in the superficial atmosphere of reality TV often collapse in real life, leading friends and family to question: “Why not just date for a while and see how it goes?”
That was certainly the case for this season’s most notorious pair: Sara Carton, an oncology nurse, and Ben Mezzenga, an account executive of ambiguous responsibilities, bonded over their shared love of air fryers, steak grilled by their fathers, and the video game Halo. In the real-ish world, they marveled at their attraction and support for one another. Sara repeatedly affirmed that Ben was everything she desired in a husband, describing him as “someone who is self-intuitive. Someone who is fun, … someone who’s, like, spice of life, like ‘cup half full.’ And someone who’s, like, emotionally intelligent.”
Yet there were indications of a rift from the start, reflecting familiar political divisions. Ben was raised in a conservative household and attended church weekly, while Sara, who has a lesbian sister, distanced herself from the Catholic church due to its anti-LGBTQ+ stance. In the pods, Sara queried Ben about attending Pride Week; he agreed but froze when she asked about his church’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights. He couldn’t recall the specifics, claiming he hadn’t been present or didn’t remember that day. During a reunion show last week, he offered an even less nuanced response: Because the subject didn’t affect him personally, he hadn’t thought about it.
Another couple experienced similar tensions: Devin Buckley, a high school basketball coach, and Virginia Miller, whose job as a “health care recruiter” remains vaguely defined. Their conversations never broached the topic of the looming presidential election until one night, merely weeks before their wedding. As they cuddled in bed, Virginia raised the question, “What about politics?”
Devin appeared to want to shrink into the covers. “I’m not super big into politics. I don’t have a strong stance on it,” he replied, before asking Virginia, “Are you one side or the other?” When she disclosed her support for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights and inquired if he would vote similarly, he hesitated and only vaguely referenced his church.
Their exchanges underscored the complexity of partisan politics—even in Minnesota, a reliably blue state where Trump nonetheless gained electoral support since 2016. Both Ben and Devin reflected the cultural sway of conservative churches, using church ideals to justify their lack of engagement with pressing issues. Sara represented a secular perspective typical of the left, while Virginia, who is Black, reminded Devin, who is biracial, that most Black voters lean Democratic, highlighting how identity shapes political beliefs.
For much of the season, however, the show treated these conflicts as mere bumps along the path to a happily-ever-after, akin to the typical ex-girlfriend outbursts and personality clashes that obstruct couples on the show. Then, moments before he escorted her down the aisle to Pachelbel’s *Canon in D Major*, Sara’s stepfather posed a critical question: “Is he smart?” he asked about her impending husband. “If he’s not smart, you’re in trouble.”
In that moment, Sara seemed to have a revelation: While Ben possessed emotional intelligence, he perhaps lacked intellectual curiosity. At the very least, he hadn’t taken time to form his own opinions, which may have been worse in her view.
“I remember I asked him about Black Lives Matter,” she recounted to her mother and sister after canceling the wedding. “He was like, ‘I guess I’ve never really thought too much about it.’ That affected me. Especially in our own city … how did it not make you think about something?”
Virginia, too, expressed dissatisfaction with Devin’s indifference. “I thought people were going to be able to have abortions. I didn’t know we had to go back and debate that one again,” she remarked during their intimate conversation. When Devin remained silent, she prodded him: “What do you think? Care to comment—or no?”
It’s a relevant question, particularly as it becomes increasingly clear that elections have consequences. On *The View*, Whoopi Goldberg defended Ben: “There are a lot of people for whom politics is just not their thing.” Among young voters, Ben and Devin aren’t alone. A recent poll from CIRCLE, a Tufts-based civics research institute, showed that youth voter turnout decreased from 2020 to 2024. Over 30 percent of voters aged 18-34, across racial and gender lines, reported they didn’t register to vote in 2024 because “it’s not important to me.”
In essence, *Love is Blind* illustrates a broader political problem: a significant number of people, perhaps weary of combative discussions and online vitriol, are inclined to avoid conversations about politics altogether. If Congress features representatives who talk at one another rather than with one another, family gatherings have often morphed into occasions best avoided when it comes to discussing contentious subjects—like the Thanksgiving dinner where the primary rule is to steer clear of the irritable uncle.
Yet strategies exist for successfully navigating political differences at home, particularly among cross-party couples from previous generations. If *Love is Blind* imparts any lesson about marriage, it might be that clearly communicating with your spouse is invaluable. Ben, for his part, seems to have grasped this lesson. When a NewsNation anchor inquired whether he planned “to be more open about politics,” the spurned groom responded positively.
“Yeah, that’s probably my biggest takeaway,” Ben admitted. “I had always been someone who avoided that conversation. … Now I’m kind of leaning more into the conversation.”
Whether this newfound openness would have swayed Sara remains uncertain. An attempt at reconciling with Ben after filming ended did not go well, suggesting that getting engaged after just ten days might not be the most feasible path. Nevertheless, she too learned a valuable lesson: that understanding politics is important in a marriage, if for nothing else than to foster meaningful discussions.
“Whatever you believe, have the conversation,” she concluded during her discussion with her mom and sister in the aftermath. “I’ve always thought I’d want to be with someone who was more curious.” After all, there’s nothing worse than a dull marriage, for better or for worse.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
This was the unexpected takeaway from Netflix's dating show *Love is Blind*, which wrapped its eighth season this month with a political twist: During the climactic wedding ceremonies, two liberal women rejected their fiancés due to mismatched values. “I’ve always wanted a partner to be on the same wavelength,” one contestant expressed, tears streaming down her face as she faced her wedding gown. “And so today I can’t.”
Despite being filmed a year earlier, this season's portrayal of young singles grappling with political divides echoed current gender dynamics in politics. Women aged 18-29 predominantly supported Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, while young men largely represented Trump’s backing. As the online manosphere champions Trump’s aggressive techniques, the chasm between these political identities only seems to widen.
*Love is Blind* also highlighted a growing challenge: politics has transformed into an identity, a tribe, a reflection of personal values, and these divides seep into our romantic relationships. According to a 2020 study from the Institute for Family Studies, only 21 percent of marriages today are politically mixed—a significant decline from four years ago—and just 4 percent consist of registered Democrats and Republicans.
This divide became evident in the social media discussions surrounding *Love is Blind*, where fans rallied behind contestants who matched their political identities. Comments ranged from derisive remarks about MAGA supporters to complaints about "radical leftist" contestants, lamenting that political differences rendered relationships untenable. One commenter on the jilted groom’s Instagram post warned, “Never date a liberal girl again.”
However, a closer look at the relationships—one that I undertook so you don’t have to—reveals a simpler, perhaps sadder truth. Ultimately, what troubled the women on *Love is Blind* was not merely the political differences but the men’s reluctance to engage in discussions about these issues. As politics infiltrates all aspects of life—even absurd reality TV dating shows—many individuals seem to be losing the ability or desire to converse about these topics in a non-contentious manner. *Love is Blind* mirrors this reality: a glimpse into the frustrations that arise when we can’t engage in political discourse.
The show, both needlessly cruel and highly engaging, is built on the idea that two people can fall in love without ever seeing each other. For ten days, contestants "date" in adjoining rooms known as pods. Through opaque walls, they engage in conversations reminiscent of late-night talks in college dormitories, ranging from flirtation to introspective exchanges. By the end of the process, some contestants decide to marry—yes, marry—before meeting face-to-face in a dramatic reveal. The stakes here are low, considering that the contestants chosen for a Netflix reality show are sure to be relatively attractive.
The reveal, however, is just the beginning. The series thrusts its couples into wedding planning, compacting a typical courtship into a whirlwind of six weeks. They cohabitate, shop for wedding dresses, enjoy bachelor parties, and ultimately arrive at a formal ceremony where they must declare “I do” or “I don’t.” Unsurprisingly, the show has a dismal record for actual marriages, as relationships formed in the superficial atmosphere of reality TV often collapse in real life, leading friends and family to question: “Why not just date for a while and see how it goes?”
That was certainly the case for this season’s most notorious pair: Sara Carton, an oncology nurse, and Ben Mezzenga, an account executive of ambiguous responsibilities, bonded over their shared love of air fryers, steak grilled by their fathers, and the video game Halo. In the real-ish world, they marveled at their attraction and support for one another. Sara repeatedly affirmed that Ben was everything she desired in a husband, describing him as “someone who is self-intuitive. Someone who is fun, … someone who’s, like, spice of life, like ‘cup half full.’ And someone who’s, like, emotionally intelligent.”
Yet there were indications of a rift from the start, reflecting familiar political divisions. Ben was raised in a conservative household and attended church weekly, while Sara, who has a lesbian sister, distanced herself from the Catholic church due to its anti-LGBTQ+ stance. In the pods, Sara queried Ben about attending Pride Week; he agreed but froze when she asked about his church’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights. He couldn’t recall the specifics, claiming he hadn’t been present or didn’t remember that day. During a reunion show last week, he offered an even less nuanced response: Because the subject didn’t affect him personally, he hadn’t thought about it.
Another couple experienced similar tensions: Devin Buckley, a high school basketball coach, and Virginia Miller, whose job as a “health care recruiter” remains vaguely defined. Their conversations never broached the topic of the looming presidential election until one night, merely weeks before their wedding. As they cuddled in bed, Virginia raised the question, “What about politics?”
Devin appeared to want to shrink into the covers. “I’m not super big into politics. I don’t have a strong stance on it,” he replied, before asking Virginia, “Are you one side or the other?” When she disclosed her support for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights and inquired if he would vote similarly, he hesitated and only vaguely referenced his church.
Their exchanges underscored the complexity of partisan politics—even in Minnesota, a reliably blue state where Trump nonetheless gained electoral support since 2016. Both Ben and Devin reflected the cultural sway of conservative churches, using church ideals to justify their lack of engagement with pressing issues. Sara represented a secular perspective typical of the left, while Virginia, who is Black, reminded Devin, who is biracial, that most Black voters lean Democratic, highlighting how identity shapes political beliefs.
For much of the season, however, the show treated these conflicts as mere bumps along the path to a happily-ever-after, akin to the typical ex-girlfriend outbursts and personality clashes that obstruct couples on the show. Then, moments before he escorted her down the aisle to Pachelbel’s *Canon in D Major*, Sara’s stepfather posed a critical question: “Is he smart?” he asked about her impending husband. “If he’s not smart, you’re in trouble.”
In that moment, Sara seemed to have a revelation: While Ben possessed emotional intelligence, he perhaps lacked intellectual curiosity. At the very least, he hadn’t taken time to form his own opinions, which may have been worse in her view.
“I remember I asked him about Black Lives Matter,” she recounted to her mother and sister after canceling the wedding. “He was like, ‘I guess I’ve never really thought too much about it.’ That affected me. Especially in our own city … how did it not make you think about something?”
Virginia, too, expressed dissatisfaction with Devin’s indifference. “I thought people were going to be able to have abortions. I didn’t know we had to go back and debate that one again,” she remarked during their intimate conversation. When Devin remained silent, she prodded him: “What do you think? Care to comment—or no?”
It’s a relevant question, particularly as it becomes increasingly clear that elections have consequences. On *The View*, Whoopi Goldberg defended Ben: “There are a lot of people for whom politics is just not their thing.” Among young voters, Ben and Devin aren’t alone. A recent poll from CIRCLE, a Tufts-based civics research institute, showed that youth voter turnout decreased from 2020 to 2024. Over 30 percent of voters aged 18-34, across racial and gender lines, reported they didn’t register to vote in 2024 because “it’s not important to me.”
In essence, *Love is Blind* illustrates a broader political problem: a significant number of people, perhaps weary of combative discussions and online vitriol, are inclined to avoid conversations about politics altogether. If Congress features representatives who talk at one another rather than with one another, family gatherings have often morphed into occasions best avoided when it comes to discussing contentious subjects—like the Thanksgiving dinner where the primary rule is to steer clear of the irritable uncle.
Yet strategies exist for successfully navigating political differences at home, particularly among cross-party couples from previous generations. If *Love is Blind* imparts any lesson about marriage, it might be that clearly communicating with your spouse is invaluable. Ben, for his part, seems to have grasped this lesson. When a NewsNation anchor inquired whether he planned “to be more open about politics,” the spurned groom responded positively.
“Yeah, that’s probably my biggest takeaway,” Ben admitted. “I had always been someone who avoided that conversation. … Now I’m kind of leaning more into the conversation.”
Whether this newfound openness would have swayed Sara remains uncertain. An attempt at reconciling with Ben after filming ended did not go well, suggesting that getting engaged after just ten days might not be the most feasible path. Nevertheless, she too learned a valuable lesson: that understanding politics is important in a marriage, if for nothing else than to foster meaningful discussions.
“Whatever you believe, have the conversation,” she concluded during her discussion with her mom and sister in the aftermath. “I’ve always thought I’d want to be with someone who was more curious.” After all, there’s nothing worse than a dull marriage, for better or for worse.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
