There is an attitude that if you are older, no matter how awful or stupid the things you say are, you should be treated with deference, particularly in the workplace.

I’m also wondering about the older worker/manager’s assumptions regarding the employees’ political leanings.

I agree with you, too, that there seems to be a a hint of a safety issue if the boyfriends may have been keeping an eye out for an inappropriate behavior from a manager with clear boundary issues, based upon evidence that he felt was ok to post about hiring (!!?) without a thought to reputation or liability (his own or company).