BuyBlue.Org Lists Companies With True Blue Execs vs Those Who Went Red in 2004

Back in November, a little over half the country was pretty darn Blue about the results of the Presidential election, and as a direct result BuyBlue.org was formed as "...a non-profit volunteer organization to conduct research that provides the data to allow consumers to make decisions supporting businesses that support values such as sustainability, workers' rights, environmental standards and corporate transparency."


This research is done by volunteers at home using a protocol and a database to examine Public Campaign Contribution records of the top corporate officers of corporations, and the PAC's connected to those corporations, that are selling and/or doing business in the U.S.: autosmakers, restaurants, insurance companies, to any entity making or selling anything you might buy as a consumer.


"In today's America there is a more powerful act than voting blue - and that's buying blue! If everyone who voted Democratic in 2004 moved just $100 to Blue purchases, in one year we’d move $5 billion in revenues to Blue-supporting corporations. Let’s do it."


Will this catch on? Will political will exceed price/cost dynamics in the workplace? Is this an effective tool, or could it backfire with Red oriented consumers using the list in the same way? Take a look at the list at the link below.


BuyBlue.org : Alphabetic Company List By Color



Companies are graded in 5 quintile shades, Blue to Red with White in the middle. Perversely, the very same data could be used by Conservatives to buy Red only. Is that where we are headed? A geographically splintered economy? Or perhaps Conservatives will be reluctant to use data manufactured by liberals in the first place.



Or will the research and publication of this knowledge force America's top executives to equalize their political contributions to stay solidly in the middle, or find other ways to get their way?



How effective is the organization to date? Certainly some people are now making economic decisions, such as changing insurance companies, based on information released by the site.



"On March 24 the 100th Buybluer switched to Progressive auto insurance, followed quickly by numbers 101 through 106. We announced the Driving for Progress campaign on February 23. In less than 30 days, we shifted more than $100,000 to a Blue auto insurance company."




Whether enough people are Blue-centric enough to make financial decisions on a scale enough to impact the next election's results remains to be seen. But this is surely another example of a grass-roots political movement that is picking up steam and momentum through the internet.



Research about the corporations, the dissemination and updates of results, newsletters and now blogs, all make the product of the organization instantly available and far easier and cheaper to produce and make available than ever before. With more than three years to go, the 2008 election may be the most unpredictable and fascinating yet.



And as for BuyBlue.org? Clearly it is a site worth watching; whichever side of the spectrum you fall on.




That's it for this file, thanks for stopping by,




Peter

===> We love comments about our posts good or bad!

Please make comments by clicking on the word "Comments"!

Click on the Envelope to forward posts to your friends! Thank you! The staff.

---