“We are not Red or Blue but Golden“

Politics is a blood sport. Corporations can instantly, unwittingly be sucked into the political arena. Kudos to McDonald’s who delicately tiptoed the political divide by tactfully responding to former President Donald Trump’s recent stop at a Pennsylvania restaurant, where he worked the drive thru.
“We are not Red or Blue but Golden“
Regardless of one’s political persuasion most PR practitioners agree the fast-food king masterfully handled the Trump visit.
“We’ve seen, our brand has been a fixture of conversation this election cycle. While we’ve not sought this, it’s a testament to how much McDonald’s resonates with so many Americans. McDonald’s does not endorse candidates for elected office and that remains true in this race for the next President. We are not red or blue – we are golden.”

Perhaps other corporations should follow McDonald’s lead and learn how to more carefully navigate such political quagmires.
Political Posturing by Corporations is Bad for Society
However, historically, corporations have promoted their business interests through political involvement. In the article, How Did Corporations Get Stuck in Politics and Can They Escape? (University of Chicago Business Law Review), the authors claim that American businesses are taking public positions on countless political and social issues— positions that are unrelated to their businesses. the authors term this form of engagement, “political posturing,” and argue that it is bad for shareholders, stakeholders, and society.
Poster Child: Bud Light
The article goes on to say that “while many argue that corporations are powerful and wealthy and can bring attention to important issues, the authors insist that it creates significant business risks and social concerns. Businesses attempts to capitalize on social issues can backfire unpredictably and catastrophically. The poster child for consumer backlash is Bud Light. The company’s advertising campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney triggered a consumer boycott and a massive drop in revenue. Bud Light’s stock price has yet to recover.”
Michael Jordan Had it Right
“Political posturing also raises deeper questions about the origin of a corporation’s political views. For whom does the corporation speak when it adopts a political position—its managers, its shareholders, its consumers, or its employees?
And in a highly polarized country, can a corporation fairly reflect the multiple and often-conflicting political viewpoints of its stakeholders? Given these concerns, it would be best if corporations stopped their political posturing.”
Famed basketball great Michael Jordan may have been right when he said the reason, he avoids political debate is that “Republicans buy sneaker’s too.”