The business community feels a sense of civic responsibility in the face of some of the most troubling aspects of today’s GOP. Trump’s shameful response to the 2017 white nationalist riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, led Merck’s chief executive to resign from a White House business council. Charlottesville was a turning point for many corporate leaders.

Similarly, the fact that some GOP leaders are unwilling to clearly and forcefully acknowledge that President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory was fairly won probably plays a similar role. If important segments of the GOP won’t back the result of a fair election, then the party is threatening the basic social stability that is a prerequisite for long-term prosperity and business success.

Many businesses are adopting the aesthetics of the left’s cultural agenda, derided as “wokeism” by its critics. These businesses are trying to gain market share and to attract and retain customers and employees by revising their approaches to race, sex, climate change and other divisive topics. The effort is costing them support among Republicans.