Most people don’t put “politics” on their shopping list — but it’s what a growing number of companies are selling. These days, what’s lining store shelves is only part of the story in corporate America, where CEOs seem more preoccupied with pushing their brand of morals than merchandise. Fans got a taste of the shift last Sunday, when the second biggest story from the Super Bowl was the liberal slant to many ads. With commercials that cost a 100 thousand dollars a second, brands like Coca-Cola, Google, Airbnb and others surprised everyone by spending the single biggest marketing moment of the year on their politics — not products.

And according to one survey, it’s starting to affect how people view them. “In such divided times, as companies scurry to figure out if and how to respond to the issues and commentary of the new administration, we find that corporate reputation perceptions can be just as polarizing,” said Wendy Salomon, vice president at The Harris Poll. “Companies that have taken very public stands for their beliefs are rewarded by consumers of similar or liberal views, but there is also clear risk among those who feel otherwise.”

Every year, Salomon’s organization polls Americans about the reputation of 100 of the most visible brands in the U.S. What they’re discovering now is that this ideology-over-items approach is hugely impacting the image of American businesses. How outspoken these companies are on cultural issues is having a seismic influence on what shoppers think of them. That would certainly explain why Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby have a significantly better reputation with Republicans than Democrats. The two companies, whose CEOs have been out front on the marriage and religious liberty debates at various times over the years, have a 17-point edge with conservatives over liberals.

The opposite is true of Target, where the gender-free bathroom debate kicked off a devastating 1.5 million-person boycott. Not surprisingly, Democrats give the retailer a rating 11 points higher than Republicans. Interestingly enough, though, conservatives still have the edge in enthusiasm by six percent — which companies ignore at their peril. (Just ask Target shareholders.) “Values play a bigger role than ever before in corporate reputation, and the business significance of a company’s reputation has never been higher,” said The Harris Poll’s Mark Penn. “Consumers are keenly invested in how companies engage in the world, and that includes corporate ideals. As the red versus blue duel of politics impacts corporate reputation, we expect to see more alignment along party beliefs.” That comes with its own risks, 2nd Vote Executive Director Lance Wray warns.

“It’s not surprising that Wells Fargo and Bank of America are at the very bottom of the reputation ratings considering their abysmal records on advancing the liberal agenda. The fact that both of these companies directly fund Planned Parenthood and the Human Rights Campaign reflect an internal corporate culture mired in creating a platform for liberal advocacy rather than developing sound public relations. And not just on these two issues, but all of them from top to bottom, in terms of liberal advocacy they are essentially the biggest players.

"Furthermore, the reputations of Target and Starbucks clearly suffer from their polarizing policies. If not for leadership that feels obligated to use their position as a platform to browbeat the public on matters of ‘inclusivity’ and ‘acceptance’ without regard to the safety concerns, common sense and the values of many of their customers, there is no question that their ranking would be in the top 10 rather than the bottom half. This study makes it even more clear that companies should focus on all their customers and shareholders, rather than entering the political fray.”

Unfortunately, out of desperation or pressure — or both — some businesses are still trying to woo customers with political correctness. Most of them (like Kellogg’s, Grubhub, Lands’ End and Starbucks) find out the hard way that it doesn’t work. At the end of the day, Americans respect — and reward — companies that stay neutral in the culture war. And thanks to organizations like 2nd Vote, it’s a lot easier to know which companies those are. With apps like theirs, you can make sure your dollars aren’t lining the pockets of businesses that will only use the money to mock your morals. Anymore, you’re not just buying coffee or shampoo — you’re buying into a company’s beliefs. So make sure you know where your favorite brands stand. And don’t just voice your values — shop them!

Originally published here.

Sweet New Home for Alabaman

Late Wednesday, after 30 long hours of debate, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) finally traded in his old title for a new one: U.S. Attorney General. It was a rocky road for the Alabama Republican, who watched as the Left and liberal media dragged his 30-year career through the mud with bogus claims about the conservative’s supposed racism. Fortunately, though, common sense (and the Republican majority) prevailed, sending the friend of FRC to the top of the DOJ by a 52-47 vote (only West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin sided with the GOP).

Despite the fierce fight over his confirmation, the law enforcement community and African-Americans stood by Sessions, including colleague Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who said his social media pages were littered with hostility for supporting the Alabaman. “If you sign up to be a black conservative,” an unfazed Scott told reporters, “the chances are very high you will be attacked. It comes with the territory.” Although the party divides were deep, the chamber did put aside its feelings after the vote long enough to shake Sessions’ hand. “I can’t express how appreciative I am for those of you who stood by me during this difficult time,” the new attorney general told the group. “By your vote tonight, I have been given a real challenge. I’ll do my best to be worthy of it.”

Real challenge is right. If Sessions thought the confirmation battle was tough, wait until he sees his to-do list. After eight years of corruption at the Justice Department, the Alabaman will have his work cut out for him restoring a sense — not just of credibility, but constitutionality at the nation’s top law enforcement agency. First up? The legal defense of President Trump’s immigration pause, which falls to Sessions’ team to lead. As far as we’re concerned, however, the administration — and the country — could not be in better hands. Congratulations, Attorney General Sessions! We look forward to a new day at DOJ with someone we can trust at the helm.

Originally published here.

Fighting Fired with Fire…

Squashing a person’s religious freedom will cost you — $225,000 in fact! That’s how much the state of Georgia was forced to pay Dr. Eric Walsh for taking his family on a two-year roller coaster of Christian persecution. As some of you might remember, the Californian was hired by Georgia officials to run the state’s Department of Public Health. But shortly after accepting the job and preparing to move his family to the Peach State, his new office called and asked for copies of sermons he’d delivered on the weekends at his church as a lay pastor. The next day, to everyone’s astonishment, Walsh was fired. Why? Because he dared to preach what the Bible says on issues from sexuality to evolution.

“This has been very painful for me,” he told Fox News’ Todd Starnes at the time. “I really am a strong believer in the Constitution, but now I feel like maybe all these ideals and values that I was raised to believe — the ideals the country was founded upon — no longer exist.” Of course, Georgia’s DPH insisted it had nothing to do with his biblical beliefs, but as our friends at First Liberty Institute know, that was nothing but a vain attempt to cover its tracks for what should be an open-and-shut case of religious discrimination.

Since 2015, the case has taken some interesting twists and turns, including a Houston-esque subpoena for Walsh’s sermons, sermon notes and even his Bible! Like far too many people, the government not only scrutinized Dr. Walsh for his Christian beliefs, it used those beliefs against him! That’s not only unconstitutional — it’s un-American! Fortunately, the state finally realized as much and decided to settle before its intolerance was made even more visible and painful as this case wound its way through the courts.

Now, months into his legal battle, Dr. Walsh can finally celebrate. “It’s been a long, difficult journey,” he said yesterday, “but it’s worth it to have my name cleared and to ensure that all Georgia government employees know they have religious liberty.” First Liberty attorney Jeremy Dys is hopeful that this case will help send the message that religious discrimination won’t be tolerated. And 40,387 of you helped make it possible! Tens of thousands of you signed our petition and supported us when we played a part in Dr. Walsh’s press conference in Atlanta. As First Liberty says, that was all crucial in making Georgia officials feel the pressure. Hopefully, other states will think twice before trying to use Americans’ religious beliefs against them!

Originally published here.

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.