Buy Blue vs. Buy Red

How can Democrats help their party? The answer is simple according to this website: buy blue! Buy Blue Org’s motto is “In today’s America there is a more powerful act than voting blue…and that is buying blue.” Wow...did I just read that correctly? Did a left-leaning political group tout the power of money, over the power of the political process? There might be hope yet...

The organization's website offers a listing of corporations rating them over a spectrum from dark blue, to dark red, according to company practices and monetary donations to political parties. Of course, this list can be used in reverse for those wanting to buy red!

It occurred to me that if people really started following this nonsense (it assumes that people make purely emotional choices about purchases, which is a luxury only afforded by the wealthy), that America would also be divided along a consumer level.

• Democrats would shop at bookstores like Barnes and Nobles and Bookstar, and Republicans could only shop online at amazon.com. Couples and friends who crossed party lines would be able to enjoy coffee at Borders Books.
  
• Tourists to Hawaii would be mostly Democrats as the inter-island carriers, Aloha and Hawaiian are solid blue.
  
• Southwest, Continental, Delta and Northwest Airlines would start a frequent flyer program called the Red Fliers Club.
  
• Republicans would have difficulty finding hotels as most hotel chains are solid blue.
  
• Best Buy would be the Bush Country of electronic stores, and all Republicans would have Dell computers. Conversely, all Democrats would have Apples (hmmm, this is making a little sense come to think of it) and their only electronics shopping possibility would be the neutrals Fry’s Electronics and The Good Guys.
  
• Kmart would be neutral territory, while Target and Walmart would be Republican stomping ground.
  
• Republicans would regretfully have to cut up their Costco membership cards, and only shop at Safeway and Vons.
  
• Democrats would order from the LL Bean catalog, and Republicans from JC Penny’s.
  
• All engagement rings for Democrats would come from Kay’s Jewelers, while Republican damsels would sport bling bling from Zale’s.
  
• Any self-respecting Republican chick would only suds up with products from Bath and Body Works, while Democrat femmes would only deign Aveda worthy of their soft skin.
  
• Democrats would pretty much have to give up on using phones and the internet, there would also be no more late night convenience shopping at Minimarts or AM/PMs, or pretty much any convenience store for that matter.
  
• If you wanted to show your red pride, you would only eat Jolly Ranchers, Kit Kats, Reese’s (gees, the list goes on…let me put it this way, you wouldn’t be a happy camper if you were a Democrat with a sweet-tooth).
  
• Republicans would eat at McDonalds and Burger King, while Democrats sipped coffee at Starbucks. (I guess some of this segregation has already started.)

Well, you get the point. Consumers would be segregated according to party preference. Eventually there would be Democrat and Republican malls, Democrat and Republican supermarkets, Democrat and Republican transport, etc. Thankfully, most Americans don’t want to further divide the country and Democrats and Republicans alike will still be able to share a meal of Big Macs and celebrate the purplish hue of Consumer America.