Amazon.com Is For Republicans

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 12/22/4 | Mark Morford

[SmithL]

Attention, liberal shoppers! Next year, screw those GOP-supportin' companies, and try buying blue

Do you care much that greasy ol' Pizza Hut gave tens of thousands in PAC money to the GOP last year? How about the fact that Taco Bell stopped pumping out their happily toxic semirancid meatlike substances just long enough to write a fat check to the conservative Right? Isn't that weirdly fascinating, in a depressing and indigestible sort of way?

Does it matter a whit that, say, Fruit of the Loom underwear gave nearly 100 percent of its corporate donations to tighty-whitey-wearing Republicans, nearly every one of whom I'm guessing wouldn't know appetizing undergarments from a flap of burlap and some string?

Do you think maybe it should? Matter, that is?

This is what happened: there was this list, see, a long and rather surprising list of major consumer corporations in America, and it detailed just how much money each company forked over to the respective political parties last year in political-action-committee (PAC) donations.

Stop yawning. It gets better.

And the list was a bit revelatory and interesting, as such lists are often wont to be, and the companies' fiscal behavior might even surprise you a little, might even take you aback and make you reconsider your consumerist options, especially the part about how Amazon.com gave 60 percent of their donations to the GOP and except maybe for the part about how Coors Brewing gave almost every penny of their donations to Republicans in a concerted effort to, presumably, stop them icky Colorado gays from getting married and keep women in their place, all while furthering the cause of skanky undrinkable pisswater beer made for red-blooded Americans who lack taste buds and hope.

[mamalujo]

What can you do? You can skip the Marriott or the Holiday Inn (76 and 73 percent to the GOP respectively), and stay at the lib-friendly Hyatt. Skip Yahoo.com (a shocking 92 percent to the GOP -- what the hell?) and head over to Google, which gave 100 percent (!) of their donations to the Dems (side note: Google rules).

What else? Toss American and Continental, fly JetBlue. Join NetFlix. Screw Repub-lovin' Wal-Mart and K-Mart (and, if you're reading this column, chances are you need no prompting from me to avoid those epic karmic wastelands) and head over to the giant vortex of consumer madness known as Bed Bath & Beyond, which gave 93 percent to the Dems. I know. I hate that store, too. But now you get to hate them a little less.

Another amazing example? Starbucks. And as much as I despise their ruthless march into funky neighborhoods and strip malls across the nation, the coffee monolith does indeed have truly fabulous employee benefits and incredible customer service, and now you learn that they gave 100 percent of their donations, every single frothy frappaccinoed dime, to the Democrats. It's true. So leave that hideous Folgers and the Sanka swill to jittery BushCo. Go get yourself a peppermint mocha and feel good about it.

As for Amazon, well, it is a bit distressing for many of us who love that bulbous megastore and who shop there all the time to discover that they gave so much to Repubs, which is just odd and a bit inexplicable, especially given how they're based in hugely liberal Seattle and geeky CEO Jeff Bezos seemed at one time to be reasonably attuned and quirky and progressive, except maybe he's not.

Maybe he's just another hollow profiteer who supports war and disses foreigners and thinks gays are, you know, icky. But then again, Amazon did give 40 percent to Democrats. So it's a close call. After all, the venerable and terminally annoying Barnes & Noble gave 98 percent to the Dems, and I can't stand Barnes & Noble. But now, like Starbucks, I hate them a little less. And now maybe I'll just skip Amazon and buy my next gift copy of "The Surrender" or "What's the Matter with Kansas?" from B&N instead.

(taken from the article)

[wardaddy]

Cakeboys unite!

[shadowman99]

Q: What happens it Mike Morford stays in blue turf and shops only blue turf?

A: I'm free to travel wherever I want. There's a hellava lot of Red for me to roam.

[mamalujo]

I drink a great deal of coffee and I am proud to say I have NEVER been to Starbucks!!

[UltraKonservativen]

Morford is.... you know, icky.

[RebelBanker]

I wonder if it had occurred to this pinhead (Morford, not you Smitty) that Coors Brewing might have been trying to help Pete Coors in his run for Senate?

[Paradox]

As for Amazon, well, it is a bit distressing for many of us who love that bulbous megastore and who shop there all the time to discover that they gave so much to Repubs, which is just odd and a bit inexplicable, especially given how they're based in hugely liberal Seattle and geeky CEO Jeff Bezos seemed at one time to be reasonably attuned and quirky and progressive, except maybe he's not.

The Jeff Bezos I knew back in high school was more conservative than I, but then I was a liberal idiot. He was extremely intelligent and thoughtful. I would say he is probably an "Arnold Republican". Not enough for most of you all here I guess..

[Travis McGee]

Amazon is fine with me.

[ConservativeStatement]

Here's another Dem site but it lists companies which donate to Repub causes, too:

http://www.buyblue.org/current_campaign.html

[Politicalities]

Do you care much that greasy ol' Pizza Hut gave tens of thousands in PAC money to the GOP last year? How about the fact that Taco Bell stopped pumping out their happily toxic semirancid meatlike substances just long enough to write a fat check to the conservative Right?

Hey, Morford: Pizza Hut and Taco Bell are the same company, doofus. They're both part of Yum! brands, which also includes KFC and Long John Silver's.

And while we have free speech in this country, describing the real chicken and beef served by Taco Bell as "toxic", "semirancid", and "meatlike" strikes me as borderline actionable. Watch yourself.

[MississippiMan]

I knew Starbucks had to be a liberal creation. Created by liberals for liberals, became the "in" thing somewhere and took off due to sheer herd mentality. I find it hard to believe that it grew on quality of product. I like strong coffee, but theirs is about like motor oil.

Want good coffee? Order whole beans from Dunkin Donuts. Utterly splendid, and not expensive, either.

MM

[monday]

"It was bad enough buying French products. I don't think I could stand being double-whammed."

You are aware that all Amazon shareholders are not Republican, just as all French are not anti American or even anti Bush.

People who boycott companies or countries due to their perceived politics are as stupid as Mark Morford.

[MississippiMan]

It's really stupid for liberals to start up the red-blue business patronization game. Virtually every conservative has a JOB, and therefore has MONEY TO SPEND, whereas a large percentage of Dem voters are perpetually unemployed and broke.

MM

[MeanWestTexan]

I disagree.

I think making the French feel the pain of their govenment's back-stabbing ways is the only way I have of influencing the French people to encourage their government to act better.

Indeed, the French wine makers have spent bundles trying to get more American-friendly representatives, no doubt because they are hurting terribly.

[NRA1995]

To quote Yul Brynner playing Rameses in "The Ten Commandments": "Let him rave on, that all the world shall know of his madness"

[Betis70]

From suggestions on another FR thread (I forget which one) I have taken the plunge and started roasting my own coffee beans. Will take a little adjustment to get the roast right, but it sure brews a tasty cup of coffee.

[Tempest]

The left in America once again doing their best to "heal the divide" in the country. . .

[RetiredArmy]

Check the oil companies. Shell oil gave more to dems than republican? What is up with that? They WANT to go out of business?

[monday]

"and I can't stand Barnes & Noble. But now, like Starbucks, I hate them a little less"

Know how to spot a loser? Anyone who brags that they hate hugely successful people, or companies, or even products (TV's, cell phones).

Something in their black souls derive satisfaction in disparaging that which is successful. Perhaps it makes their pathetic little lives seem less pathetic in comparison?