Why Democratic-leaning companies outperform Republican-leaning ones

On the campaign trail, Democrats are loudly claiming that they can outperform Republicans in Washington when it comes to policy. Now they’re making the same claim about mutual-fund investing.

As Moneybox reported in May, the Free Enterprise Action Fund, a tiny mutual fund run by lobbyists, uses stock ownership to push policies associated with the Republican Party. Through the first nine months of this year, it was up 5.59 percent, lagging the 8.53-percent gain for the Standard & Poor’s 500. Starting next week, The Blue Fund will try to demonstrate that Democratic principles aren’t simply better for the country—they’re better for investors.

The Blue Fund aims to funnel capital to companies that it believes have policies and worldviews that jibe with the Democratic Party. While there are plenty of socially responsible mutual funds that screen stocks for decent environmental and labor practices, “there was no fund available for someone who cared about the political aspects of corporate behavior as well,” said Blue Fund co-founder and president Daniel Adamson, a former McKinsey consultant who has also worked in private equity. So, the Blue Fund is also monitoring political contributions to ensure firms really lean Democrat.

So what makes Democratic-leaning companies do better? Adamson attributes the outperformance to what he calls “progressive leadership.” Companies with progressive leaders are more likely to innovate and be flexible, more likely to treat employees better (Costco), more likely to work better with outside organizations that can burnish or damage brands (the Gap), and more likely to earn the loyalty of committed customers with lots of disposable income (Starbucks).



  1. 0113addiv says:

    I work for a Democratic-leaning corporation but my subsidiary company within that corporation is run by Republican-leaning leadership. I’ll just give one example to what is happening right now. After over ten years with my company, the Democrat-leaning corporate side gave me a brand-new Windows XP laptop to replace the (stolen) Windows NT machine that I have because they forceably removing all NT machines on the network. This was a program setup by the Democratic-leaning side. Anyway, I put in my request eight months ago. What happens? It get delivered to me but my district manager (Republican-leaning) finds that I don’t deserve a brand new laptop and gives it to one of his subordinates. If that is not fucked up, I don’t know what is. This is the mindset of Republicans. They feel they know what is right for everyone, even going so far to evade and break the rules or laws to achieve their wishes. They look down on ordinary folks. This is exactly what Bush has done. That motherf*cker never lived a day like a hard working person trying to make ends meet. Bush thinks he knows what is good for us. But, like my district manager, he has caused grief, bad feeling and has gone against WHAT IS RIGHT. He was able to do this because he HAS POWER. What do I do in my situation? I can get power too. I wrote a letter to my Vice President. Hopefully, the V.P. will stop this fragrant abuse of power and bring back integrity within our group. Who is going to bring back integrity to the White House? WHO?

  2. xrayspex says:

    this fragrant abuse of power

    Now THAT’S a phrase I will have to work into a conversation ASAP.

    ¡Fuchi Pestoza!

  3. Mr. Fusion says:

    Something else we can blame on Clinton and those wily Democrats.

  4. malren says:

    Oh sweet hell,, is there anything progressives won’t believe and/or find a way to tie to Bush?

    #1, perhaps you just showed us all the reason you get treated like a dick at work…try a mirror next time you’re looking for someone to blame.

  5. 0113addiv says:

    #4, the only mirror I see is you.

  6. They certainly don’t derive their business smarts from their (or any other) ideology; their cash just turns them into “guilty white liberals”.

  7. malren says:

    #4, the only mirror I see is you.

    You might want to re-parse your insult, Mr. Wilde. I don’t think you quite intended what you actually wrote.

  8. Uncle Dave says:

    #7: Don’t be so sure. We’re talking 0113 here.

  9. 0113addiv says:

    #7, you see you don’t get me. I wasn’t meant as an insult. I literally can see everybody else EXCEPT myself. Yes, I can see my hands and even the tip of my nose if I cross my eyes, but I cannot see my face. Think about that. The only reason you see yourself is because of the invention of the mirror. Before the mirror you didn’t even know you existed. That incredible discovery came 12,000 years ago. There were three men talking over a fire about the great kill they had just made. However, when one referred to the “us” they referred to the two of them. (In their minds they were counting wrong-obviously all three men counted only two at the fire because they ONLY saw two– they couldn’t see themselves and therefore they were all under agreement that there were two at the fire that night, not three). but then, something, astounding happened. A curious kid came along. They got alarmed because they weren’t ready to give up their meat. But seeing it was a kid they cautiously let him in because there was something “different” about him. Then the kid said something that would change the course of humanity. He said, “there’s enough meat there to feed the FOUR of us.” WHAT?!? Is this kid crazy? With the kid there, now there was three, right? The kid knew something that the physically strong didn’t know. He knew ABOUT HIMSELF. With this knowledge, the fall from Grace occured. Man DISCOVERED HIMSELF. I don’t know whatever happened to that kid, but I know what happened to humanity.

  10. ZeOverMind says:

    #1 >>> but my district manager (Republican-leaning) finds that I don’t deserve a brand new laptop and gives it to one of his subordinates. If that is not fucked up, I don’t know what is. This is the mindset of Republicans. They feel they know what is right for everyone, even going so far to evade and break the rules or laws to achieve their wishes. They look down on ordinary folks. This is exactly what Bush has done.

    I remember when Bill Clinton’s administration decided to use their rule making authority to protect a lot of land instead of going through the legislative process because they quite frankly didn’t have the votes necessary to put certain lands under federal protections. And a LOT of the local folks who’s livelyhoods and properties were affected by this abuse of Administration power got royally screwed. There was zero local input and when Bush came along and rescinded those rules you had a lot of the pro-environmental groups howl about how wrong it was to rescind the previous administration’s rule making authority, anti environment.. blah blah blah. Point is.. both sides do all sorts of things that run the heavy hand of government over the little guy. And they sure don’t care about the impact on the locals. You can’t just lay this “mindset” at the feet of Republicans. I can give you plenty of specific instances where Democrats are out to protect us from ourselves and that leads to a lot of bad feelings all around.

  11. RBG says:

    Two words: Air America. Four, counting the first two. No, nine…

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15249280/?from=ET

    RBG

  12. BHK says:

    I think is this mainly due to the Democrats being better at putting into place regulations and programs that ultimately benefit their contributors. I own a healthcare business and I could easily go to the local democrat run healthcare board and ask them for a grant to start some sort of program that will “help” increase health in the community at the same time helping me to grow the business. This works on a larger scale as well.

  13. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal, Christian, Jew, athiest, Boy Scout, Girl Scout, PTA Chairwoman, Lifeguard at the pool… I don’t care who you are or what you believe…. This particular thread is about as stupid a thread as there can be… Not the participants, but the premise.

    Yes… Democrats are better for government… (My opinion) (well, it’s fact, but I don’t wanna fight tonight honey) But for business? I give you Pets.com, Razorfish, and Palm…. But don’t think I’m all hip on the Republicans all of a sudden… Ford Motor Company… Businesses succeed and fail despite the political outlook of the leadership.

    Yes… Liberals are likely more apt to try something new, something that goes against conventional wisdom, whatever… But that same willingness to explore uncharted territory is the same character trait that tempts fate and sometimes leads to grand failure.

    I like partisanship… I like that two sides need to tear apart an issue, judge its merits, then render a decision… Liberals in my world exist to further the state of the culture… To improve our living standard… To reach higher… Conservatives, on the other hand, are the failsafe switch that hopefully keeps the loonbat ideas from seeing the light of day…

    But I agree with xrayspex…. “this fragrant abuse of power is a priceless line…

    Thanks David… you Zen freak you…

  14. Sounds The Alarm says:

    #12

    Got to love the neocons. If someone does it better they’re “not playing fair”. Boo Hoo.

  15. Ab Cd says:

    Lots of very rich business people are communists, so this wouldn’t be too surprising. But usually, they don’t run their businesses that way. Just look at how the Democrat Party uses non-union labor to build their headquarters.

  16. Frank IBC says:

    0113 –

    If there is no self, then on what basis do you claim that you were wrongly denied the new computer?

  17. ZeOverMind says:

    After reading the story I’m reminded of a quote my highschool physics teacher was fond of saying : “Figures don’t lie, but liars sure do figure”

  18. AB CD says:

    If they’re running their businesses by paying all employees the same regardless of ability, with a huge review process making it difficult to fire an incompetent employee, and resist all attempts to cut spending, then I don’t think I’ll invest.


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