It may seem the best strategy for some of these companies is to avoid engaging with Bernie to minimize media volume of his criticism. Walmart never responded to Bernie’s claims, and the media rarely headlines his frequent attacks against the company. On the other hand, the media did showcase Bernie’s criticism of GE, and the condemnation continued in to the next week via additional responses and refutations from GE’s CEO and Bernie himself.

Examining some of the other ‘victims’ of Bernie’s attacks, one could argue Goldman Sachs has not avoided Sanders’ rage despite its muted response. In truth though, Goldman Sachs is in the limelight precisely because of a feud. That is, Bernie has made Clinton’s speeches to Goldman Sachs, which totaled $675,000, a focal point of his criticism of her. And Clinton has repeatedly and awkwardly rebuffed his demands. Other Wall Street banks like JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup, which neither paid Clinton for speeches nor responded to Bernie, have faced less condemnation. As Donald Trump’s battles with the Pope, Megyn Kelly, and Ted Cruz’s wife have proven, the media loves a fight, but it is probably best for companies to avoid them.

Ultimately, when CEOs choose to respond to Bernie, Bernie wins. His entire narrative is the underdog fighting the establishment. For example, a wealthy CEO like Lowell McAdam claiming his company benefits average Americans because of dividends payouts contrasts poorly with a presidential candidate literally on the picket line striking with blue-collar workers. Bernie’s platform rests on the premise that there is an oligarchy that seeks to undermine the working class and elevate the 1%. Seeing CEOs of Fortune 500 companies lash out against Sanders only strengthens the theory that he is upsetting the status quo. If the leaders of other companies like Pfizer, Bank of America, and ExxonMobil want to take a stance against Bernie, they are welcome to. But they should prepare themselves, because they will almost certainly feel the Bern.

This column solely reflects my own opinion and not necessarily those of any affiliated organization. Follow me on twitter: @realsaadasad. Special thanks to Rohit and Cheryl for invaluable edits.