Nike may be one of the most woke companies in the United States. Colin Kaepernick and his now-famous kneeling during the national anthem certainly helped to give them the title. After all, they chose to make him their spokesperson AFTER he made such a political statement.
To say that the CEOs are Democrats is an understatement.
Phil Knight is one of the co-founders of Nike. And he’s decided that it’s time to go unwoke.
Knight has decided to go all-in to ensure that Tina Kotek, the Democrat racing to be the next governor of Oregon does NOT win.
After seeing how Kate Brown led the state through the pandemic, it would seem that Knight is tired of liberal politics – even though Nike was all for the harsh pandemic rules that were in place.
Several impressive donations have been made by Knight. First, he spent $3.75 million on independent candidate Betsy Johnson. Then, he spent another $1 million on GOP candidate Christine Drazan. He’s tossing money by the millions to ensure that Kotek does not win.
Rebecca Tweed, a Republican strategist, said that Knight’s donations aren’t necessarily to be viewed as endorsements of the candidates. Instead, it is more about attacking the Democratic candidate.
Oregon has been a VERY blue state, so it will take a significant amount of effort to turn it red – and it may require more than just money. That being said, Drazan is closing in on Kotek. It would be a considerable feat if she can do it, especially since the state hasn’t seen a Republican governor since 1982.
In fact, a poll conducted by Emerson College recently shows that Drazan, who is currently the state’s House Republican Leader, is actually leading Kotek by two points.
Knight told the New York Times that he’s an “anti-Tina” person, which explains why he’s spending the kind of money that he is to ensure that she doesn’t win.
Now, it’s unclear as to whether Nike is going unwoke…or just one of the co-founders.
Nike still holds some very liberal views. They have even gone as far as saying that they will cover the travel expenses for any employees who need an abortion if they live in a state where there are restrictive laws.
Meanwhile, Drazan holds conservative, pro-life views. She has said that the state’s current stance to support women who want to travel to the state for abortions is “outside the mainstream.”
Knight is a non-voting observer on the Nike board, holding the title of chairman Emeritus.
When asked by the Times about Nike’s stance on helping employees to get abortions, Knight commented, “Nike has good leadership. They make choices, whatever they want, but I think I’m more conservative than Nike.”
Knight has shown that he’s less woke than Nike on many other occasions, too – and that includes donating $1 million to the Republican Governors’ Association.
With the cash infusion to Drazan’s campaign, it has certainly helped the Republican move ahead in the polls. As we press closer, we may even see Knight infuse even more if it ensures that she gets the win as opposed to Kotek.
It would be an interesting turn of events if the co-founder of one of the wokest companies in the U.S. ends up turning a blue state red. Let’s keep a close eye on what’s going on in the gubernatorial race of Oregon.
