Whole Foods CEO John Mackey: I Voted For Bob Barr (VIDEO)

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey faced a vocal backlash earlier this year when he waded into the health care debate, coming out against "ObamaCare."

In a recent interview with Reason, Mackey got back into politics, revealing that he voted for former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) in the 2008 election.

Mackey suggested that, ideally, individuals would purchase their own health insurance, because great plans like the one offered at Whole Foods might discourage people from changing jobs.

Asked about his philosophy, he said, "I believe in capitalism ... I believe in individual empowerment. ... People didn't come to love capitalism because we haven't articulated well ... what capitalism is and all the good things that it does." He did not elaborate.

As for his political affiliation, Mackey disavowed any loyalties. "I don't feel like I'm on any of those teams," he said, adding that he voted for Libertarian candidate Bob Barr in 2008. "I like Ron Paul," he added, "but he didn't get the Republican nomination."

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Comments

[pharmmajor]

Seriously: why do you guys hate libertarians so much?

[kelz5000]

This Whole Foods guy kills me. His store wouldn't even exist if it weren't for government subsidies that go to farmers who supply the food. He says he believes the free market will take care of everything and that makes him a hypocrite. Why does he take his products from a "socialist" system?

[HoracePManure]

The Whole Foods in town looks vacant.

[Rubyslippers]

Haven't set foot in Whole Foods since his anti-public option comments.

Fortunately there's a small union gourmet grocery in town, Trader Joes, Good Earth (a terrific health food store a few miles away) and wonderful farmer's markets.

[bajed]

If its Union..the wages are 'probably' artificially above market value which eventually translates to higher prices that are not competitive for those people suffering in this recession.

[research]

I know what your taking about, those terrible "Living wages" in just drive up the cost of everything. Now if we could pay our peasant, eh workers, minimum sustenance levels, we could sell product cheaper, of course no one would be able to afford even the lower prices.

The Market is customers with money.

[polyticks]

Proud to say I haven't set foot or spent a dime in a Whole Foods store since the day I read Mackey's editorial. I support my local food co-op regardless of the price of certain items (the produce however has always been better and cheaper than Mackey's) and resort to Trader Joe's for individual items when I need to.

The day we have a single payer system in this country, I will consider returning to Whole Foods. And the way things are going, that's a long, long way away, certainly outside my lifetime.

[Citizen54]

Whole Foods stores are good stores with good products, but I would like to see Mr Mackey apply his libertarian principles to shopping in his stores: you know, like no prices! No rules. Every man/woman for themselves, grabbing whatever they can, being entrepreneurial, with no regulations like having to stop at the checkout counter.

[bajed]

That is not Libertarian that is anarchy. The reason we have stores like whole foods is because of market capitalism. Otherwise, all the stores would be the same (maybe government owned) and have no incentive to provide competitive quality or prices (what ever might be driving the specific market niche). I think most of the posts here in response to his remarks proves his point-not enough has been done to articulate why Capitalism is a far better choice than communism or socialism.

[ThinkCreeps]

Is he being paid by Safeway?

[vippy]

Well, I am looking for real milk, not the pasteurized and homogenized one. I am looking for meat
without all the additives animals are being fed, I want fruit that is fresh off the tree and was not
manipulated by Monsanto, you know the huge Blueberries, Strawberries, etc. which no longer have
flavor. But that store does not exist so I continue to look and hope.

[OmegaHunter]

Oh no, the evil pasteurized milk! Who wants their milk to be disease free? Because, you know, I prefer my milk with a healthy dose of tuberculosis.

And genetically modified food has not been shown to have ill-effects. People like you just freak out that it's super-duper dangerous but when asked why it is you never have an example. Instead you just say that's it's bound to happen or something.

Because if it's not 100% natural it's not 100% safe, right? Or do you think if it's 100% natural it is then 100% safe? I'm not really sure.

[moveleft]

OMEGA HUNTER: I don't argue with you on pasteurization. It doesn't do anything other than heating a food product to a temperature that kills bacteria and other pathogens. Still, ALL products that are pasteurized are also clearly labeled as such. So why not do the same for food that contains genetically modified ingredients? If growth hormones and genetically modified foods are so wonderful (as you and the various food industry lobby groups insist) then what's the harm in being upfront on a label and letting the consumer decide. Simple: the vast majority of people in the U.S. WOULD NOT buy food products that contain genetically modified ingredients if [a] they knew a product contained them and [b] a non-GMO alternative was readily available. Sorry, but I want as much information about the food I am PAYING FOR as possible. Yes, I'll take my chances with something that is 100% natural over something altered by Monsanto any day of the week...so would most people.

[tjinc]

GMO food has also been shown to have a very negative impact on birds and pollenating insects; as in IT'S KILLING THEM.

[vippy]

RBST is a genetically engineered growth hormone given to cows to increase milk production. It was originally made by Monsanto, but rights to produce the synthetic hormone were purchased last year by Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly.

Recently, an "independent" panel (sponsored by Elanco) made some news with a report that didn't really surprise anyone. The panel's review of rBST research found that milk from cows treated with rBST is safe for human consumption and no different from milk taken from untreated cows.

So what's the big deal? After all, the FDA approved the use of rBST more than 15 years ago.

Well…THIS is sort of a big deal: When the agency approved rBST, the man in charge of FDA policy was Michael Taylor, who was formerly the attorney for Monsanto. He later became a vice president and lobbyist for Monsanto.

Meanwhile, the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan all banned the use of rBST. Their fear: rBST prompts a sharp increase of another hormone. And when that hormone is present in excessive amounts, research says that several types of cancers may occur.

That hasn't been conclusively proven yet, but it begs the question: Is the milk potentially dangerous?

Obviously, the Elanco panel says no. But a very large chorus of critics says yes, because even if you ignore the threat of cancer, this hormone is bad news.

[MidwestHeart]

I have thought of boycotting...back when WF took out juice bars in most stores and replaced them with pastries (adding insult to injury) and placing all sorts of sugary laden snacks (oh but sugar is "natural") all over the store. I began looking for other options back then and knew that if another company could replace them there would be a ready customer base.

The merger/take over of Wild Oats should never have been allowed to happen. I am looking at the long term and supporting the growth of my local CSA (Community Support Agriculture, a farm membership) and my friends who have room for gardens!

I will have to check the stock prices that posters say have not been impacted by the emotion against Mackey.

[bajed]

I love Whole Foods. I love democracy and i love capitalism....they go hand in hand. The reason we have places like Whole Foods and competing companies like Wild Oats is because of capitalism. So why all the hate?

[Ron44]

Open your eyes and your mind and, yes, try listening to what he has to say!!!!

[bajed]

Did I miss something Ron?

[GlennInVenice]

Um, Whole Foods was permitted to buy out their competition Wild Oats thanks to an unbridled unregulated capitalism. Now, as with insurnace companies, financial institutions, and media outlets our capitalism is turning into a monopoly. Not suprisingly at the same time "we the people" have lost control over our government and our reprsentatives now represent the leaders of these corporate monopolies leaving something as beneficial to the US people as single payer without hope.

[bajed]

The competition hasn't disappeared, it has just shifted to traditional grocery stores that now compete in the same market by providing high quality organic foods along with their other products. Corporate leadership and labor unions have both played a part in the downturn of our economy. We need ethical capitalism not government regulated socialism. The farther our country pushes into socialist economic policies, the worse capitalism functions. You cant artificially prop up capitalism in the United States, because we are not isolated-we function in a global economy. The socialist policies propping up GM are not going to make that company any more competitive on the global economy. It is going to take restructuring wages and benefits for workers and leadership; as well as, returning to the quality products and resources that were sacrificed for uncompetitive market wages and benefits.

[mi]

Have found alternative places to
shop.

[bajed]

Exactly...the beauty of capitalism is that you can find alternative places to shop. So you stopped shopping at Whole Foods because their products were low quality or because you didnt agree with Mackey's Libertarian political leanings?

[dillydawg]

Same here and having fun doing so.

[helgathewitch]

I haven't shopped at Whole Foods since his last spewing

[anners]

HOW DARE HE not toe the party line!
HOW DARE HE be capable of independent, rational thought!
HOW DARE HE have the cajones to actually express that thought!
HOW DARE HE believe that our free enterprise system can be individually empowering!
HOW DARE HE espouse reasonable­/increment­al/necessa­ry changes to the health care system instead of trusting this inept Congress to completely dismantle it.
HOW DARE HE run a successful business!

All you leftie liberal lemmings might want to open your minds and consider his words. Nah...just keep your blind faith in Nancy and Harry and company.

[Ron44]

Better listening to Harry and Nancy than listening to you!!!

[GlennInVenice]

HOW DARE I stop shopping at a food store who has a CEO who misrepresents the facts to help block one of the most over due, most necessary pieces of legislation to help the American people in the past decade

[tjinc]

The characteristics you list are totally subjective and your opinions only.

As with any business, if one decides for any reason not to patronize, we still have that right.

Speaking of Lemmings, the Whitie Rightie Tighties blindly cheered the Shrub and Darth Vader and the gang into a war based upon lies that is still costing the American taxpayers into the trillions. All this while tanking our economy, turning a budget surplus into a huge deficit, trashing the constitution and trying to create a presidential monarchy.

Now you're complaining about an overhaul of our broken and unsustainable healthcare system?

Hypocrites, every last one of you.

[nellie]

There's no real surprise that he's a conservative. The market they bought out her in L.A. -- Mrs. Gooch's -- was much better. And there are health markets that have real progressive owners. You can always tell the difference. But Whole Foods is still a good baseline natural foods store. I just wish their employees looked happier.

[Ariadne]

I really miss Wild Oats around here too.

[bajed]

Yes....fiscally conservative but socially liberal. That is why he voted for libertarian candidate Bob Barr. This article incorrectly indicates Barr is a Republican, which is not the case.

[vgirl1]

The Fresh Market.

The Fresh Market.

The Fresh market.

Our alternativ­e.........­..........­..

That's who I vote for.

[kappa08]

Love that store...quality all the way around.