Silicon Valley firms learn politics has its liabilities

Google, Facebook and are quitting the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative organization that has been a flash point for years. The move reveals a weakness in a popular Silicon Valley business strategy: Throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks does not work in the realm of politics and public opinion.

When it comes to political engagement, "these companies are on a sophistication curve," said Larry Gerston, a political-science professor at San Jose State. "They are not afraid of trying things. But they are more sensitive as they grow to what their constituents think." For tech companies, that dating analogy is a problem when it comes to politics and advocacy. It may be prudent to think twice before joining groups this year that you are going to have to break up with come next year.