Corporate America weighs in on Georgia’s voting-rights law

THOUGH THE divide has never been tidy, for the past century Republicans have been seen as the party of big business in America and Democrats as the party of labour. Under Bill Clinton and Barack Obama the Democrats found friends in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street, but they never overcame the Republican formula of cutting taxes, opposing regulation and reaping corporate campaign support.

Donald Trump’s populism and the growing power of the consumer are tearing at the old order. Companies are coming under tremendous new pressure from the left. Some fear customer boycotts if they fail to take stands on divisive social questions. Others, less vulnerable to consumers, fear revolts by their progressive MBAs and software engineers.

The latest catalyst of conflict is a law passed in Georgia which facilitates voting in some respects but also makes absentee voting harder and gives the legislature more control over the process. Democrats accused Republicans of trying to suppress voters, in particular black voters. Mr Biden called the law “Jim Crow in the 21st century”. Coca-Cola criticised the law last week. Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta Air Lines, which like Coca-...

Read More