Target CEO apologizes
Target Corp. is apologizing for a political donation to a conservative group that angered some employees and sparked talk of a customer boycott.
How dare they? Donate to a conservative group? Balance out their donations, since they have donated plenty to liberal groups. But hey, talk about a boycott and it's time to apologize. Screw that. Why the hell would you apologize for this?
Newsflash - If your employees were mad about this, chances are they are mad about other shit too. You plan on apologizing to them for the other things you do that upsets them? Can of worms is now opened...
Say it with me - YOU CAN'T PLEASE ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME. So why bother trying?
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written by Barthélemy Barbancourt , August 05, 2010
Most conservatives have their hands full trying to do their private sector jobs and raise their kids. Liberals have tons of people that "work' for non-profits that do nothing other than advocate for more liberalism.
Target was right to support a pro-business candidate. Maybe someone should take some pictures of the next Gay Pride Parade and make sure that Target Customers all over the country get to see what Target really supports.
written by Jim W , August 05, 2010
Short memory syndrome on display here. I'm glad you brought up Gay Pride. THey are a HUGE sponsor. Now, just weeks removed from Pride, gays are threatening boycotts over support for the "other side" in a political donation. AMAZING hypocrisy.
It's too bad the CEO over there wasn't smart enough to see this for what it was...a blatant attempt to block future donations to the "evil" Other side.
written by Jim ross , August 05, 2010
Target is free to donate to whomever it wants, but why would they bother? Doesn't seem like a good business decision to throw yourselves to the political wolves on both the far left and far right.
written by Jim W , August 05, 2010
Agreed. Just stick to selling shit; that's what they're good at. And leave the political dorks to fend for themselves.
written by Barthélemy Barbancourt , August 05, 2010
Target has used it's giving to create an image. They donate to schools and AIDS charities and other things that all of the right people approve of (ie. Rich Liberals).
This started in the 80's and has always been an area where companies can fuck up easily. I doubt Target shoppers in Alexandria are thrilled to be sponsoring the distribution of free lube during Gay Pride Week, but no one bothers telling them that is what is happening.
This is just another example of the liberal media punishing conservatives and rewarding liberals. It's OK to sponsor events that encourage young men to have sex with older men, but talking about the anti-business environment in MN is forbidden.
written by Sequel , August 05, 2010
And the guy that banks much of the profit but has no control is running for governor too. No one seems to have any problem with Dayton tossing in a mil or 2 and Daytons ex, Ms. Rockafeller (yes the heiress) tossing in another couple mil into a competing group backing Dayton.
So it's OK morally for the Daytons and Rockafellers to buy a senate seat, but fuckin scandalous for Target to toss a couple thousand toward a pro-business PAC?
written by Badda , August 05, 2010
Hell, we here at the Anti-Strib don't even boycott the Star-Tribune!
written by Jim ross , August 05, 2010
I'm not disagreeing w/ any of what you say. But why would you, as the CEO of an image-conscious business, donate to Tom Emmer? Target obviously is saavy at PR and had to know this would hurt their image. I'm sure the Target CEO has plenty of rich right-wing friends. Why not just get them to donate instead?
written by Barthélemy Barbancourt , August 05, 2010
I am not Tom Emmer's biggest fan. I think he shoots from the hip too much and may be too outspoken to actually win in MN.
But the group that Target donated too is far less controversial that the Gay Pride Parade. Have you ever been to one of these events? I have seen them in Mpls and San Francisco and they are NOT family friendly.
If the group is pro-business and the choose to donate to the pro-business candidate, that should be fine. If Emmer isn't a big buddy of the butt pounding set, that is a different issue. The DFL candidates all plan to make MN less business friendly.
I see this as a template that the left will use over and over to deny funding to Conservatives while keeping the cash flowing for liberals. Do you really think that most union workers are pro-gay marriage? Yet they fund pro-Gay marriage candidates and no one ever makes and issue out of that.
written by Kermit , August 05, 2010
Hell, we here at the Anti-Strib don't even boycott the Star-Tribune!
Speak for yourself. I haven't given them one penny for 15 years.
written by Sequel , August 05, 2010
A PR savvy outfit should never donate to a republican candidate?
Are you kidding me?
Is any association with republicans a scandal?
Or is it just THIS republican?
Because all republican candidates get the usual demonization that the now odius Emmer has received. I know Emmer a little bit, he's not an evil crackpot, regardless of what the Dayton/Rockafeller financed dishonest hit pieces have said.
The assertion that businesses should slyly hide (and maybe make them illegal) their support for pro business candidates is conceding all to the marxist tools.
And you're down with that?
written by Sequel , August 05, 2010
This whole thing is brownshirt politics, and I call bullshit.
written by Jim ross , August 05, 2010
A vocal and influential portion of society has deemed it appropriate for businesses to support issues like gay rights and other community-orientated causes normally associated w/ the left. It's good PR and good for business to play nice w/ these groups and shoot them some cash here and there. Anti gay marriage, anti-tax, anit-abortion and other similar groups normally associated w/ the right don't enjoy the same level of acceptance (for various reasons) in society as the aforementioned groups on the left. This is completely unfair, but it's the world we live in.
So why risk damaging your business by donating to Emmer when Emmer is despised the leftist groups -- the groups that are always on TV, in the newspaper and on the radio? From strictly a businesses perspective, I don't get it.
Perhaps Target wanted to make a statement that the right-leaning groups deserve a voice too. Fine. But donating to a politician does nothing to advance that point. Why not start a micro-lending program and work w/ local Chambers of Commerce to help small businesses instead? Donating to groups and donating to politicians are two different levels. You're asking for trouble when you start making public donations to politicians.
Perhaps Target donated to Emmer strictly because they feel he is pro-business. Fair enough. But what has Emmer done to help businesses? Anti-government populist rhetoric doesn't qualify as being pro-business in my book. In Emmer, I see a lawyer (who himself has been sued several times) with two DWIs who has spent more than one-half of his adult life working in government office. I've often heard him talk about "taking the government back." From what? Himself? Tim Pawlenty, the leader of his own party? Unfortunately, Emmer's past actions have not supported his current rhetoric.
At Farmfest this week, Emmer had an excellent opportunity to take a solid pro-business stance and he failed miserably. The topic of subsidies for biofuels came up. A real pro business candidate would've stood up and said that government subsidies for energy inefficient biofuels should be cut to help offset tax breaks for Minnesota busineses. Instead, he himmed and hawed and half-assed supported continuing the subsidy programs.
Unfortunately, by supporting Emmer, Target is also supporting status quo government. Again, from a business perspective, I don't get it.
written by Nobody , August 05, 2010
I think Tom's handelers have him boxed up. Last year I spoke with him at the Game Fair in Ramsey. He's talked about a state freeze and a bunch of other stuff I liked. His "Guy" with him was making faces behind him like "oh no Tom, don't say that".
I'm not so sure he'd be a status quo. He's got alot of fire.
written by Sequel , August 06, 2010
A vocal and influential portion of society VS Anti gay marriage, anti-tax, anit-abortion and other similar groupsSure the commies are loud and get good press from the media commies, but the latter group is the majority. We should all feel free to ignore the jackassery.
Perhaps Target wanted to make a statement
They were not trying to make any statement, they just kicked a couple bucks to a pro business 527. Dem operatives combing the public records saw the donation and sicced the useful crazies on them.
So why risk damaging your business by donating to Emmer when Emmer is despised the leftist groups
All non Marxists are despised by leftist groups. They can't argue the ideas in front of the American people so they demonize and intimidate. We should resist that bullshit, not blithely accept it.
Perhaps Target donated to Emmer strictly because they feel he is pro-business. Fair enough.
The rest of your comment is an attack on Emmer's pro business cred. I'll let someone else deal with that, but will make one point.
Who's better for business? Capitalist hating socialists; or a hemming and hawing conservative?
Again you may blithely accept political coercion through intimidation by leftist radicals, but I don't.
written by Kermit , August 06, 2010
Instead, he himmed and hawed and half-assed
Yeah, I can't wait for Emmer to make a fool of himself in debate with that brilliant and articulate orator C.I. Dayton.
written by Jim ross , August 06, 2010
You're turning this into a political debate, which wasn't my original intention, so I'll end by saying this:
When you become CEO of Target, you're more than welcome to donate to whomever you wish and deal with the fallout. When I become CEO of Target, I'm not going to donate to any politician so I can avoid the potential PR mess and focus all of my energy on raking in cash.
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