The GOP-Big Business Divorce Goes Deeper Than You Think It's not just about voting rights;

[applegrove]

The GOP-Big Business Divorce Goes Deeper Than You Think

It’s not just about voting rights; it’s that businesses and the Republican Party increasingly care about incompatible things, says Jeffrey Sonnenfeld.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/04/15/republican-party-big-business-georgia-voting-rights-conservative-481978

By ZACK STANTON at Politico

04/15/2021 05:54 PM EDT

Zack Stanton is digital editor of Politico Magazine.

"SNIP.....

Most of the CEOs on the call were Republicans; Sonnenfeld himself has been an informal adviser to Republican and Democratic presidents, but he has a longstanding relationship with McConnell, and spoke at the senator’s wedding to Elaine Chao. The CEOs “ranged from amused to outraged” in their reaction to the GOP attacks on businesses, says Sonnenfeld. “Their comments ranged from talk about ‘taxation without representation’ to the paradox of ‘cancel culture’: It’s OK if they speak out, but only as long as they stay on script?”

As the GOP tries to position itself as the home of “working-class values,” capturing loyalty with a steady campaign against the perceived excesses of progressive culture, it’s running afoul of a business community that can’t simply silo off “culture war” topics. In the eyes of major corporations, issues like voting rights, immigration and transgender-inclusive restrooms have economic impact, too. The millions of people alienated by those fights aren’t just their future customers, many of whom expect to support brands they believe in, they’re the companies’ employees.

“The bad news for Republicans is that they seem to have a 1920s view of who Big Business’ workforce is,” says Sonnenfeld. “That workforce is, at a minimum, highly diverse—and they get along. Trying to stir that up is misguided.”

The new Republican penchant for mocking corporations for being too socially aware—for instance, Sen. Ted Cruz’s Twitter threat to use the power of the state to harm Major League Baseball’s business, signing the message off with “go woke, go broke”—fundamentally misunderstands what matters to business in the 21st century, says Sonnenfeld. “Basically, business leaders believe that it’s in the interest of society to have social harmony. ... Divisiveness in society is not in their interest, short term or long term.”

......SNIP"

[yardwork]

1. I've watched this unfold for about 10 years.

Republicans seem to have forgotten how large businesses operate. It's all about profits for shareholders. Ideology - except the ideology of deregulation and low corporate taxation - can be problematic. Businesses love deregulation and low taxes. They abhor anything that interferes with making money, and that includes right-wing social ideologies that annoy their customers. The Republicans believe their own lies at this point. They don't seem to have noticed that a majority of Americans - not to mention the rest of the world - isn't really on board with blatant racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, etc. That kind of thing drives customers away.

Paying customers are a diverse lot these days. So are corporate employees.

Ironically, some social progress - such as gay rights - has actually been fueled by large corporations.

[Hekate]

2. Very interesting

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. Not sure how much I buy this ...

The GOP are still the party of low taxes, low wages, and dismantling the labor movement.

Those are a HUGE part of corporation's bottom-line. Almost certainly more important to them than 'social harmony'.

[Midnight Writer]

14. Exactly. I'll believe it when ALEC goes bankrupt.

Dark money is still funding all these RW groups that seek to divide and degrade our country.

[ShazamIam]

15. ALEC is alive and well and promoting a Constitutional amendment to prevent expansion of

the Supreme Court.

[CrispyQ]

24. +1

Social justice is just a temporary ad campaign for them. How many will contribute to these same repubs in 2022 & 2024?

[PortTack]

4. Good..I hope the split just gets wider and deeper

[Deminpenn]

5. GOP thinks Big Business only cares about "red", but

the business priority is "green".

[stopdiggin]

6. one of the things not mentioned

was trade war and other incoherent policy (coupled with a damaged international reputation resulting from stiffing arming treaties, political, financial and trade partners). Trump did a lot to destabilize -- and was accurately perceived as such. Destabilization and uncertainty are antithetical to (the vast majority) of business interests. If I'm at the head of a corporation trying to return profits and stare into the future -- the 'chaos president' scares the hell out of me.

And particularly when it became clear that he was willing to 'tear it all down' -- out of a vindictive self interest. That's not only not a good business climate -- that's some seriously scary sh*t.

[applegrove]

7. And a strong democratic US would push the countries of the world to be more democratic and less

corrupt both of which are key to big business running smoothly around the world.

[stopdiggin]

9. and another -- immigration

The 'business community' has long been in favor of a coherent immigration policy. With Trump ---
Slash and burn, driven by skinhead ideology.

(not that the rest of the political class has been delivering anything like coherent policy, but ...)

[quakerboy]

8. So what your saying is we should expect

a lot of new corporate money influx in trying to take over the democratic party?

[Hortensis]

16. Huh? They couldn't. They know that. They donate to Democrats

in general to appear nonpartisan and as a little courtesy, be invited to important events, and maintain pleasant relations and have their calls returned. And specifically to campaigns of Democrats who represent their areas to keep them in office when it works for them.

But they donate far more to the GOP to buy influence, which goes all the way to the Supreme Court. You'll have read that of 73 consecutive cases important to big GOP donors, all 73 were unanimously decided in favor of the donor by the conservative majority.

[quakerboy]

25. Why couldnt they

They donate to BOTH sides to buy influence. Democrats are, sadly, not immune to the influence of money. It may be easier to bribe Republicans as their whole ideology is inherently corrupt, but if that lane of access becomes practically unreliable, they will not be shy about making lots of donations to Democrats who they think can be bought. And if that fails, they will make plentiful primary donations to bring in ones that can be bought.

[70sEraVet]

10. I've WONDERED when some of the societal issues pushed by certain states

would cause corporations to rebel because of backlash from their employees. If a company in California wanted to transfer a promising young department manager to head up their new location in Houston, and the employee said, "Hell no! I've got a trans kid, and I'm not going to subject my family to the wacko laws in that state", then those laws are interfering with that company's business interests.

[DBoon]

18. Exactly

and the more red states pursue culture war issues, the more likely that many valuable employees will refuse to relocate.

This will be in spite of the "cool" image some enclaves have. Austin may be a fun town, but you are still subject to statewide restrictions on reproductive rights, anti-gay stances, public education influenced by Christian fundamentalists, etc.

[applegrove]

11. I wonder if big business got victimized by more demands for graft in

their international businesses as Trump changed the rules saying he would not demand other countries follow US rules and values. Just a guess.

[DBoon]

19. Like what Nixon did in the 1972 election?

Threaten federally regulated businesses if they did not donate huge to his campaign?

[applegrove]

21. No. Bribes are the cost of doing business in many parts of the world but

the US fought against it. Trump came into power and made an edict that people in other countries should not have to follow US values. I'm wondering how hard that bit the big US international corporations with sales and business around the world in the last 4 years.

[ellie]

12. This is a good article

Thanks for posting it!

[burrowowl]

13. Interesting

but big business loves Citizens United and still has a lot of leverage in elections. When bb says overturn Citizens United SC decision then I'll maybe believe them.

[Hortensis]

17. "What was good for our country was good for General Motors."

What GM CEO Charles Wilson REALLY said in 1953 during his nomination for Secretary of Defense.

...for years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa. The difference did not exist. Our company is too big. It goes with the welfare of the country. Our contribution to the Nation is quite considerable.

Also remembering that the voting rights acts of the 1960s and other advances of integration ended 100 years of post Civil War poverty and stagnation in the broken south -- by making it possible for industry to hire the white and black labor force they needed for the plants they opened.

[Skittles]

20. repukes have the same misconception about the suburbs

thinking they're filled with lily-white folk who fear change - actually, the burbs are getting to be quite diverse, and people seem to be just fine with it

[rickyhall]

22. Seemed liked wanted Consumerism then they attack consumers. Makes not sense.

How can business take our money when we have no money to take?

[Cha]

23. Cancuncruz is a fucking

Hate Filled self absorbed braindead Idiot..

lol.. cruzco VS Big Business