Over at American Thinker, Tom Lifson makes a few important observations:
Knocking 6 billion dollars off the market value of one’s employer normally would result in heads rolling. The inevitable has just happened at the Anheuser-Busch subsidiary of InBev, the global brewing giant. AdAge has reported in a paywalled article that Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s V.P. of marketing, has “taken a leave of absence.” The U.K. Daily Mail has a lengthy article on the subject with no paywall.
To be sure, this is not quite the same as being fired and carrying your personal belongings out of the office in a box, but I have a hard time imagining that Ms. Heinerscheid will ever again be entrusted with guiding a major beer to its customers. As the very first female to head marketing for what is claimed to be the world’s biggest beer brand, certain niceties must be observed by Anheuser-Busch in her defenestration.
Look, first of all, I have my doubts that she made such choices as she made, unilaterally. Certainly she made the move because she believed in the idea. But what was the companies’ position? Do we even know how AnBev, based in Belgium (who recently bought Budweiser) deals with such questions outside of the North American market? See, that’s the thing…. for all the heavy breathing going on on this topic, we’ve yet to see that point addressed. Can it be that AnBev totally misunderstood the values of it’s customers? Or is it that they simply didn’t CARE about those values? We’re not going to get an answer to that one, I’m thinking. At the least, not in the short term. It’s my take that they’re probably struggling to figure out what the bleep happened.
Their response to the mess created tells us clearly that they’re clueless how to address this one. They’re trying to be neutral when what is required is a firm stand. They know that, for example, were they to claim it wasn’t a mistake, and continue with their virtue signalling, they’d have an even bigger problem on their hands. But they’re also trying to not offend the sexual dysphoria crowd. I submit that so long as they continue to play it that way, they’ll lose.
The greater question, though, as Tom points up is the political question going forward. Given the strength of the backlash against Bud over this:
Trans issues have the potential to bring many new voters to the GOP in 2024. This includes the highly prized suburban soccer mom demographic, as well as males who had not previously bothered registering to vote but who resent being forced to accept a mental illness as perfectly normal and treat people as if they were the opposite of their natural sex.
Indeed so. And I suggest it goes further. ALL the values positions that the left has been pushing are going to be the downfall of the Democrats going into 2024… and I suspect, the establishment GOP with them. (You know, the “go-along-to-get-along” crowd.. The McCain/Romney/Bush wing of the party.) Both groups should heed the warning signs here. This event is the first thing, really, that the average American has had the ability to respond to in any meaningful way. The anger brought forward by this promotion is a a huge flashing amber light. The next opportunity is going to be the 2024 election.
The backlash on this is huge, and threatens to bring down AnBev. However, mark this well: The backlash is what it is because the America people have voted with their wallets to some very real consequences. The connection is direct.
The question now is, will the next election be as direct, or will we see more campaigns from the Biden Basement, miraculously getting the largest number of votes in history at 4am, confirmed in the middle of the night and another inauguration held behind 20,000 troops and barbed wire?
Thing is, that unlike Government, Anbev cannot do that kind of security. They rise or fall on the backs on their customers and the satisfaction of same.
