Liberal Entrepreneurs

It SHOULD be Jim Sinegal.http://abcnews.go.com/2020/business/story?id=1362779I don’t know his politics, per se (if he’s pro-choice, if he’s ant-war) but I really don’t care. If CEOs were like him, the economy and the workers of the country would be prospering.

Great example Josh and I agree..I can think of companies who both do well and do right – Ben and Jerry’s is probably the most famous one….but it doesn’t seem to be a topic discussed much in progressive circles…

Thom Hartmann.Jim Cramer, for all his crazy, is a Democrat.Warren Buffett is a Democrat.Soros.

I think you’ve hit on an interesting angle, Lee. The fact is that there are countless liberal entrepreneurs; lawyers, doctors, etc. in practice as well as business owners.But it is a question of branding. The BIG money people who make money from their money are usually republicans because that’s where the sweetheart byzantine tax-shit gets pushed through. But they sell the myth that ALL business is republican business and it becomes self-fulfilling because low-information people in business assume they should be republican… by way of branding.I think Costco could be used as an example not so much of LIBERAL/DEMOCRAT approach, but rather sensible, post-partisan (hah!) reality-work-ethic based approach and template, especially in light of all this CEO scandal.The fact that they pay their employees really well and that the CEO draws a $350K salary would play a lot better today than it did 4 years ago when analysts tried to downgrade the company for treating employees too generously.But you’re right– it is an area we’ve almost officially ceded. We should have a Dean/Obama “50 State” style strategy, not so much on states, but on spheres of influence/realms of the economy.Branding SENSIBLE, reality-based, ethical entrepreneurship that doesn’t implode, Panzi-style, as a Democratic “brand-identity” is smart.

Eric Schmidt.. GoogleJohn Grisham… Author.

Josh wrote:>>>But you’re right– it is an area we’ve almost officially ceded.I disagree to the extent that our current president spoke the words “entrepreneurs” and “small business” in almost every stump speech. Green businesses, family farmers, etc.Google search on ‘Obama “small business”‘ — 42,600,000 results.Google search on ‘Bush “small business”‘ — 12,600,000 results.Google search on ‘McCain “small business”‘ — 1,770,000 results.Google search on ‘Limbaugh “small business”‘ — 352,000 results.Google search on ‘Democratic Party “small business”‘ — 750,000 results.Google search on ‘Republican Party “small business”‘ — 603,000 results.

Bob:I know that Obama is actively trying but what I mean is that in this “everything is a brand” culture we have, the “democratic brand” is not explicitly associated with “business.”Which, at the moment, is actually a strength, since big business has fucked up so much so fundamentally.But the crisis provides an opportunity; I think Lee has touched on something worthy of exploring.The idea of green-business is great, and yes, sounds “progressive,” and is definitely how we need to move ahead. But Costco’s model is just old-fashioned progressive, you know? It makes that kind of “common-sense” that people find appealing, and the idea of a guy being both immensely successful AND paying his lowest employee AT LEAST $17/hr is a great alterative to the Republican darling of Wal-Mart.I think that now may be a time to chess-move “smart business” not just out of the republican wheel-house (which they are helping with, with every CNBC broadcast) but get it back into ours.With an emphasis on actual WORK, and production/sales of goods, done smart and ethically… as opposed to the kind of suited, abstract number-moving that passes for “business” in the republican-branded idea of the term.I think that is why they are so hellbent on killing/neutering the stimulus. Getting back to actual construction, infrastructure and energy-grid work, with all the side-business that supports it– all as a democratic initiative, takes away one of the last vestiges of “brand-recognition” they will have.

>>>the “democratic brand” is not explicitly associated with “business.”Oh, I agree with you there. I’m just saying that liberals haven’t ceded the issue to the right. In fact, the pendulum is moving.

Bill GatesThe CEO of Netflix whose name escapes me at the moment

It would be nice if Ellen and Oprah spoke out more. Robert Redford speaks up about the environment.

good post joshdI don’t like the implication I got from some of the thread that providing real jobs and running an ethical company is somehow not liberal or progressive enough.I have friends who have their own companies. I’m thinking in particular of one friend who started her business of taking care of the elderly in their homes over 25 years ago. She employs about 100 people. Her company has a great reputation of providing wonderful, attentive care. Her employee turnover is low. People like working for her company. I cannot think of a way to describe her business as green, but this woman is a progressive entrepreneur. There weren’t other companies doing what she did when she started the company and she couldn’t get a loan because she was a woman. Banks flat out told her they would loan to her without a man’s signature on the loan.There are millions of business owners out there like her who vote progressive/liberal. But their business may not immediately stand out as progressive or green. But they are nevertheless doing new things in new ways.And then what they do is no longer new.

that should have read “…would NOT loan to her…”

If the party I’m generally forced to vote for isn’t seen as the party of (failed) capitalism, that’s a plus in my opinion.

Bob’s right – the pendulum is swinging. And there are a bunch of examples of businesses that are owned by progressives but it’s not quite something that the talking heads are talking their heads about a lot.

oh I just realized you probably didn’t get the google results you were hoping for because you probably misspelled ‘entrepreneur’

Hello, I’m a fan of the site but this is my first comment here. I think a huge part of the problem is that Liberals tend to put progress ahead of the profit motive; for Conservatives, especially of the “professional” variety, profit trumps all.The people who enjoy the status quo, and those who profit from it, will invest billions and fundraise millions to debunk or filibuster anything that may interfere, let alone might makes things better.Conservatives can make money denying common sense and history, or debating science and taxes, or attacking unions and immigrants. Thomas Frank lays it out in ‘The Wrecking Crew’ people like Jack Abramoff and Gover Norquist and [insert basically every professional wingnut here] have made mountains of money through “nonprofits” and PACS, etc. by simply shouting the party line, encouraging the craziest wackjobs to join them, and attacking anything coming out of any Liberal’s mouth regardless of the facts.But, if someone owns a business and pays his/her workers well, donates time, money, and energy to worthy causes, pays his/her taxes, isn’t a jerk to his/her employees, does that require the Liberal brand? Or isn’t it just understood?