A few weeks back, I decided to pay a visit to one of my favorite political sites, BuyBlue.org only to find the site closed. Buy Blue was a guide that I used to help me purchase from companies that were friendly to progressive political causes. Better yet, it helped me avoid make purchases from corporations like PepsiCo, Pizza Hut and Outback Steakhouse; three of many corporations that make significant campaign contributions to the GOP and the Bush reelection campaign.
I was disappointed and discouraged by the closing of BuyBlue.org, and later I felt a bit guilty because it had been several months since I visited the site (my excuse is that I didn't make any big purchases in that period and I already had a roadmap of companies of which to steer clear).
But I'm a bit less discouraged after visiting one of the links from the former Buy Blue site. The link points to a page on a Web designers site called Advomatic, that intends to reboot the site in the near future:
For over two years BuyBlue.org inspired people to take action and vote with their wallets. With methodical data analysis tracking FEC reports, as well as information about corporate conduct such as labor rights, environmental practices, corporate and social responsibility, industry practices and community involvement, BuyBlue sought to educate consumers about whether the places they shop are in line with their values.
We invite your feedback on the future of BuyBlue.org, especially your brainstorms on the next incarnation of this great progressive infrastructure resource. If you care enough to help make this work, Advomatic would appreciate your ideas - please join us in the comments.
I'm rooting for Blue Blue 2.0. I contributed just a bit to the last site and now pledge, if the site returns, to do better supporting it. In the meantime, I'm reminded of the importance of making conscious, values-based buying decisions by consumer advocate Michael Lynch of GoLeft.tv.
This diary is crossposted at my blog Liberty in Crisis