BuyBlue.org
Encyclopedia
BuyBlue.org was an online consumers' guide designed to help progressives
in the United States
choose brands that favored their politics. Its editors rated companies based on their campaign contributions and other factors. Its name refers to the popular idea of the U.S. being sharply divided, culturally and politically, into red states and blue states that voted Republican
and Democrat
, respectively, in the 2000 election.
The website encouraged users to submit articles that criticize or applaud a company's business practices
. The submitting user assigned a binary
categorical rating
of positive or negative with regards to the company's adherence to progressive business practices as described in the article. The absolute number of articles submitted and each submitted article's rating were used to calculate a company's overall rating. A five-point scale ranked a company's degree of progressiveness or regressiveness according to users' submissions.
The website hosted blog
s and message boards
designed to steer consumers towards businesses favored by the party, to exert direct political pressure on targeted businesses, and to foster activism among the site's users.
Though this website was geared toward liberals, conservatives could also use it to find out which companies are supporting Republicans.
by a company's three highest executive officer
s, those executives' spouses, the highest executive officer
at any subsidiary company
, and any PAC
registered by that company. The allocation of donations between Democrats
and Republicans
determined a company's political contribution rating, with higher ratings awarded to companies that primarily donate to Democrats
.
released a similarly themed book, The Blue Pages, in 2006, Daily Kos
pundit Markos Moulitsas accused PoliPoint
of being a "den of thieves." The creators of BuyBlue had been in talks with PoliPoint
to publish a similar book, but failed to come to an agreement, and PoliPoint went on to produce their own rating guide in-house.
In March 2005, PoliPoint publisher Scott Jordan had withdrawn an offer to BuyBlue.org, claiming to have "run out of time" to publish their book. The company released its own consumers' guide, The Blue Pages, without the participation of or remuneration to BuyBlue.org. BuyBlue.org unsuccessfully sought to stop the release of the book, claiming its methodology had been stolen.
PoliPoint
's editorial director, Peter Richardson, offered a different account, calling the new book "complimentary," not derivative, of the popular Web site. Richardson maintained his company decided to produce an unrelated book in-house, after failing to secure an agreement with BuyBlue.org.
This message was also followed by the statement that BuyBlue's data had been donated to the organization Advomatic.
On September 6, 2007, the site carried a message stating that 'BuyBlue 2.0' would be coming that fall, with the guide returning in a "more partisan and focused" form.
The site currently (March 4, 2010) displays a banner by Advomatic with the organization's slogan and a message stating that it is undergoing scheduled maintenance.
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
choose brands that favored their politics. Its editors rated companies based on their campaign contributions and other factors. Its name refers to the popular idea of the U.S. being sharply divided, culturally and politically, into red states and blue states that voted Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, respectively, in the 2000 election.
The website encouraged users to submit articles that criticize or applaud a company's business practices
Business ethics
Business ethics is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations.Business...
. The submitting user assigned a binary
Binary opposition
In critical theory, a binary opposition is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning. Binary opposition is the system by which, in language and thought, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another. It is the contrast between two mutually...
categorical rating
Level of measurement
The "levels of measurement", or scales of measure are expressions that typically refer to the theory of scale types developed by the psychologist Stanley Smith Stevens. Stevens proposed his theory in a 1946 Science article titled "On the theory of scales of measurement"...
of positive or negative with regards to the company's adherence to progressive business practices as described in the article. The absolute number of articles submitted and each submitted article's rating were used to calculate a company's overall rating. A five-point scale ranked a company's degree of progressiveness or regressiveness according to users' submissions.
The website hosted blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s and message boards
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
designed to steer consumers towards businesses favored by the party, to exert direct political pressure on targeted businesses, and to foster activism among the site's users.
Though this website was geared toward liberals, conservatives could also use it to find out which companies are supporting Republicans.
Methodology
The website's editors used public databases and compiled an estimate of political campaign contributionsCampaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
by a company's three highest executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
s, those executives' spouses, the highest executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
at any subsidiary company
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
, and any PAC
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
registered by that company. The allocation of donations between Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
determined a company's political contribution rating, with higher ratings awarded to companies that primarily donate to Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Rating categories
- The Labor & Human RightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
category covers article submissions from sources such as Sweatshop Watch and the National Labor Relations BoardNational Labor Relations BoardThe National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
that address topics including sweatshopSweatshopSweatshop is a negatively connoted term for any working environment considered to be unacceptably difficult or dangerous. Sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. Child labour laws may be violated. Sweatshops may have...
s, unionsTrade unionA trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and union bustingUnion bustingUnion busting is a wide range of activities undertaken by employers, their proxies, and governments, which attempt to prevent the formation or expansion of trade unions...
. - The EnvironmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
category covers article submissions from sources such as the Environmental Working GroupEnvironmental Working GroupThe Environmental Working Group is an American environmental organization that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability...
and GreenpeaceGreenpeaceGreenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
that address topics including sustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, ecosystemEcosystemAn ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s and resource recoveryWaste managementWaste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
. - The EmploymentEmploymentEmployment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
EqualityEqual opportunityEqual opportunity, or equality of opportunity, is a controversial political concept; and an important informal decision-making standard without a precise definition involving fair choices within the public sphere...
category covers article submissions from sources such as the Institute for Women's Policy ResearchInstitute for Women's Policy ResearchThe Institute for Women's Policy Research founded in 1987 by Heidi Hartmann to meet the need for women-centered, policy-oriented research...
and the Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionEqual Employment Opportunity CommissionThe U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
that address topics including discriminationDiscriminationDiscrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, domestic partnerDomestic partnershipA domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
benefits, and diversityMulticulturalismMulticulturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
. - The Corporate and Social ResponsibilityCorporate social responsibilityCorporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
category covers article submissions from sources such as United for a Fair EconomyUnited for a Fair EconomyUnited for a Fair Economy is a national Boston, Massachusetts-based movement support organization that highlights the detriments of uneven wealth distribution. UFE was co-founded by Chuck Collins and Felice Yeskel in 1995...
and the Council on Economic Priorities that address topics including charitable contributionCharitable contributionCharitable contribution deductions for United States Federal Income Tax purposes are defined in section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code as contributions to or for the use of certain nonprofit enterprises. See...
s, community participationCommunity developmentCommunity development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....
, and product safety and product liabilityProduct liabilityProduct liability is the area of law in which manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers, and others who make products available to the public are held responsible for the injuries those products cause...
. - The Industry Practices category addresses industry-specific topics.
2006 PoliPoint Press controversy
After the Northern California publishing company PoliPoint PressPolipoint Press
PoliPointPress was a San Francisco Bay Area publishing company, originally founded to print the work of University of Phoenix founder John Sperling...
released a similarly themed book, The Blue Pages, in 2006, Daily Kos
Daily Kos
Daily Kos is an American political blog that publishes news and opinions from a progressive point of view. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of netroots activists, whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the Democratic Party...
pundit Markos Moulitsas accused PoliPoint
Polipoint Press
PoliPointPress was a San Francisco Bay Area publishing company, originally founded to print the work of University of Phoenix founder John Sperling...
of being a "den of thieves." The creators of BuyBlue had been in talks with PoliPoint
Polipoint Press
PoliPointPress was a San Francisco Bay Area publishing company, originally founded to print the work of University of Phoenix founder John Sperling...
to publish a similar book, but failed to come to an agreement, and PoliPoint went on to produce their own rating guide in-house.
In March 2005, PoliPoint publisher Scott Jordan had withdrawn an offer to BuyBlue.org, claiming to have "run out of time" to publish their book. The company released its own consumers' guide, The Blue Pages, without the participation of or remuneration to BuyBlue.org. BuyBlue.org unsuccessfully sought to stop the release of the book, claiming its methodology had been stolen.
PoliPoint
Polipoint Press
PoliPointPress was a San Francisco Bay Area publishing company, originally founded to print the work of University of Phoenix founder John Sperling...
's editorial director, Peter Richardson, offered a different account, calling the new book "complimentary," not derivative, of the popular Web site. Richardson maintained his company decided to produce an unrelated book in-house, after failing to secure an agreement with BuyBlue.org.
Spring 2007 shutdown
As of April 23, 2007, the website was shut down, and the following message was posted at the site:
Thanks for your support!
The BuyBlue team would like to thank you for all of your support over the past 2 years, unfortunately we are shutting our virtual doors. We hope that we've been able to educate consumers and inspire people to take action and vote with their wallets. Maybe another group will take up this charge in the future, but for now we can no longer do so.
Just because we won't be online any more does not mean that the information we provided cannot be found any longer. You'll want to keep the following information sources in mind. Also, BuyBlue Colorado, an independent organization, will continue to remain operational.
This message was also followed by the statement that BuyBlue's data had been donated to the organization Advomatic.
On September 6, 2007, the site carried a message stating that 'BuyBlue 2.0' would be coming that fall, with the guide returning in a "more partisan and focused" form.
The site currently (March 4, 2010) displays a banner by Advomatic with the organization's slogan and a message stating that it is undergoing scheduled maintenance.
Officers and directors
- Chair and President Raven Brooks
- SecretarySecretaryA secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
TreasurerTreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
Sally Westgate - Creative DirectorCreative DirectorA creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
John Haas - Board member Julia Ramsey
- Board member Summer K. Rhodes
- Board member Leslie Fera
- Board member Kerry Lange
- Board member Alison Kutler
- Board member
Daniel Adamson
Media coverage
- July 30, 2006 - Tuscaloosa News - Buying blue: Some shoppers research purchases to further political cause
- June 15, 2006 - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette - Consumers buy with their beliefs
- May 19, 2006 - United Press International (UPI) - Globe Talk: Money power vs. the NSA
- April 22, 2006 - New York Times - Wal-Mart Flirts With Being Green
- March 10, 2006 - Minneapolis Star-Tribune - Eco-friendly, fair-trade shopping choices getting easier to find
- February 17, 2006 - The Detroit News - Shopping with your conscience
- January 27, 2006 - The Detroit News - Bargains by the barrel
- December 21, 2005 - VOA News, American Life - Christmas Shoppers Guided by Politics
- November 8, 2005 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Information Age breeds boycotts by the score
- September / October 2005 - Ethical Consumer - Boycott Bush – Everybody’s doing it!
- August 24, 2005 - The Boston Phoenix - Shop at your own risk
- July 31, 2005 - The Boston Globe - Boycott mania: As business ethics fall, consumer activism rises
- June 14, 2005 - San Francisco Bay Guardian - The MBNA factor
- May 24, 2005 - MarketWatch.com - The color of money: Red states, blue states and credit-card affiliations
- April 28, 2005 - The Insurance Journal - Turning Politics into Green for Favored 'Blue' Insurers
- April 24, 2005 - Fort Worth Star Telegram - Purchase with a Purpose
- April 16, 2005 - Tallahassee Democrat - Which way does your burger lean? Find Out.
- February 15, 2005 - San Francisco Chronicle - Corporations painted in red and blue, S.F. man politicizes purchasing power
- February 4, 2005 - East Bay Business Times - Web sites target companies for 'red' or 'blue' buyers
- February 3, 2005 - Reason Online - Shop the Vote: The Era of One-Click Democracy
- December 23, 2004 - CNN Inside Politics (TV) - Transcript
- December 23, 2004 - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle - Democrats willing to put their money where their politics are
- December 23, 2004 - The Detroit News - Web sites link politics and shopping
- December 22, 2004 - San Francisco Chronicle Mark Morford's Column - Amazon.com Is For Republicans Attention, liberal shoppers!
- December 20, 2004 - Le Monde - Les Americains partisans du "Merry Christmas" a l'offensive
- December 20, 2004 - The Washington Times - Go vote with your wallet this Christmas
- December 19, 2004 - The Dallas Morning News - Dems: Does that come in blue?
- December 18, 2004 - The Washington Post - Some Put Money Where Their Politics Are
- December 17, 2004 - FOXNews.com - Spending Some Green on Blue or Red
- December 16, 2004 - TwinCities.com Pioneer Press - Partisan shoppers dreaming of a Red and Blue Christmas
- December 14, 2004 - Chicago Tribune - Blue voters now urged to buy blue
- December 11, 2004 - Cleveland Plain Dealer - Web site sees red over retailers' donations