What Now?: February

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Change the World-

One Receipt at a Time

By Melinda Eppler

When making a purchase, few consumers stop to think who manufactures the particular product, much less whether the manufacturer funds political campaigns.
    Most manufacturers do contribute to campaigns, and most lean either to the right or to the far left. A group called COBB 24 identifies corporations as Red (Republican) or Blue (Democrat) based on whether 75 percent or more of their political contributions went to Republican or Democratic candidates. The group’s website (www.cobb24.com) also lists a group of neutrals (corporations that split their contributions evenly). 
    Regardless of your political bias, the data is fascinating. The site currently logs a working list of 609 corporations producing 4,366 brands.
    COBB 24 volunteers (individual donations, which can be given online, support the project/site) analyze Federal Election Commission data related to corporate political donations to create the lists for consumers. Granted, the site was developed by people who lean to the left of center politically, but it is just as valuable for those who stand firmly to the right. COBB 24 allows consumers to obtain a list of corporations producing the brands of goods and services they use in daily life.
    The site also brings it home by offering a list of local red- or blue- friendly stores available by entering state, zipcode, and other information.The project is based on the premise that if consumers paid close attention to which brands they were buying, election outcomes might change. Corporations know more and more about who is buying their products, so it makes sense that the groups affecting their market share would drive their campaign contributions. The question is: Are consumers prepared to be so in the know?
Continued...

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