Right Thinking: Republicans’ corporate support eroding The Journal Record – Journal Record

Andrew C. Spiropoulos

Its easy these days for Republicans to feel beleaguered. Aside from losing the presidency and Congress, it feels like all of the power centers of society are arrayed against them. They already knew the press, Hollywood, most lawyers and Wall Street investment bankers, Silicon Valley and the universities are against them and have been for years. Their only solace was that their party, with few exceptions. was backed by the money and power of big corporations in legacy industries like energy, transportation, manufacturing and consumer goods.

But now, it appears, the GOP has lost the support of even these corporate titans. After some Republicans in Congress hesitated to affirm President Joe Bidens election victory, and party leaders in an increasing number of states decided to revise the voting laws in order, in their minds, to address potential abuses that threatened the integrity of the process, these corporate leaders turned on them and threatened to withdraw both campaign contributions from them personally and business from their states.

While once big business only wielded its political capital in defense of its particular interests and assiduously kept clear of messy cultural conflicts, the managers of many of our largest corporations now think nothing of taking sides always on the left in our societys most divisive conflicts, especially those involving race, sexuality and religious freedom. Some of these companies have gone so far as to threaten economic retaliation against those state governments that dare to offend the pieties of woke-ism.

Many conservatives are shocked by these developments, but they shouldnt be. Ever since the rot of political correctness hollowed out the humanities and social sciences departments of our most prominent universities, it was inevitable that the products of this intellectual sewer would bring their tendentious notions to their professions. You can never forget that most of the people who run these big corporate outfits are not entrepreneurs who made good, but university-educated managerial elites who were trained to implement the progressive dogmas they imbibed at school.

The good news is, while these people may be wealthy and culturally chic, they dont represent a lot of votes. Most middle and working-class Americans as demonstrated by Republican near-parity in Congress and majority control in state legislatures think America, despite our undeniable sins, has been predominantly a force for good and that, while we should purge those who abuse their authority, most police officers nobly serve and protect our community. I dont know about you, but if I have to choose between joining a party dominated by patronizing progressive elites or one made up of small business people, blue-collar workers and religious families, Im picking Door #2. And Im not alone. Before this year, one poll showed 57% of Republicans were satisfied with big business. That number is now down to 31%.

Republican leaders worry about losing the corporate campaign cash they are used to relying upon, but it is evident that they can raise just as much or more money from individuals. In the past quarter, for example, Republican U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy raised a record $27 million from 50,000 unique donors, as opposed to the previous years $22 million from 6,000 donors. It wont be much time before the institutional shareholders who really own these companies inform their hired hands that their companies need the politicians more than they need them.

Andrew Spiropoulos is the Robert S. Kerr, Sr. Professor of Constitutional Law at Oklahoma City University and the Milton Friedman Distinguished Fellow at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and should not be attributed to either institution.

See more here:

Right Thinking: Republicans' corporate support eroding The Journal Record - Journal Record