Do you think corporations or even local businesses should publicly speak out, support, or disavow political initiatives and candidates?

 
Yesterday I was minding my own business trying to work when I received an email that Whole Foods Market was campaigning against single payer healthcare. When I went to check it out, I realized it was all over the Internet.

 
That got me thinking…do I want to know the political beliefs of the places that I shop or dine?

 
And, yes, I do.

 
I like to support businesses that have similar ideals and are contributing to the same issues that are near and dear to my heart. 

 
I have a mental list of places that I won’t go to because of who was on the committee to elect someone I would never vote for and refuse to go to restaurants that have off-track-betting which props up greyhound racing, a “sport” I vehemently oppose. Previously, I referred clients to a Realtor until one day in a social setting, I overheard her say she contributed money to a candidate I voted against. My referrals stopped.

 
As a business, I think it could be suicide to publicly support or disavow a candidate or a heated political issue.

 
But back to Whole Foods Market, boycotts have popped up all over the Internet but whether they pan out is another story. Time will tell.

 
In the Daily Kos blog, Whole Foods Market is saying the opinion is just the opinion of the CEO not of the company. Really? Perhaps he should’ve kept his thoughts to himself. He’s not exactly an anonymous man on the street. 

 
Here is the original Wall Street Journal op-ed piece.

 
Do you think Whole Foods Market has been damaged by this incident? 

Would some of the masses be so angry if the ceo of Safeway voiced the same sentiments?

Do you shop with your political pocketbook?