“Target is receiving criticism and frustration from their customers because they are doing something wrong, and that should serve absolutely as an example for other companies,” said Ilyse Hogue, director of political advocacy for the liberal group MoveOn.org, which is pressing Target to formally renounce involvement in election campaigns.”
Screw MoveOn….frequent the Target Stores….show your support buy spending there. Write letters to corporate to not be a pussy and back down.
Zipline Conservative 
I wonder what your take is on what looks like Target’s plan to donate to gay-friendly organizations in an equal amount to what they gave to MN Forward to try to make it right with the customers and employees they’ve managed to piss off by getting into politics. Would you view that as smart on Target’s part, or would that offend you in the same way that GLBT customers and supporters were offended by Target’s initial political contribution.
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 13, 2010 @ 6:22 AM |
I’m going to make it a point to shop at Target if they do not back down. Why should they even care about gay rights. Now I don’t agree with any company giving money to any political cause no matter what the reason.
Comment by Rick Warton — August 13, 2010 @ 6:45 AM |
@Rick, are you saying that you’d against corporations making political contributions, but you’ll make an exception in Target’s case because they donated to fund ads promoting an anti-gay candidate, which pissed off gay people, which is acceptible in your mind?
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 13, 2010 @ 9:04 AM |
So it’s not acceptable to piss off gay people?
Newsflash: The world does not revolve around gay people!
What about Target’s other customers? Maybe they have lots of Christians customers, and other people who don’t care for gays and their activism. Maybe what Target is doing is making it’s other customers happy.
As for me, I’m going to shop Target just because of this. They got my support.
Comment by Mike cullinan — August 16, 2010 @ 7:37 PM
I think that Target should give a donation to the groups/politicians of their choice. The problem is that special interest groups are tying to FORCE Target into giving money to a group/politician of their choice. This is not right. If Target WANTS to give to this other group/politician, then great. Give that group/politician money as well. No one should feel forced to give money to a cause that they do not support.
Comment by Matt — August 15, 2010 @ 2:00 AM |
The ol’ Jesse Jackson shakedown technique…
Comment by SwittersB — August 15, 2010 @ 7:31 AM |
@Mike, your comment makes sense if you’re into shopping at anti-gay establishments. However, I imagine Target’s interested in catering to a broader audience than that.
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 16, 2010 @ 7:48 PM |
I, as well as many others I know, feel target should be able to do what they want with there money. That is America. I, as well as others I know, will support Target MORE often than I have in the past. Move ON Dot org – needs to move on. Target has plenty of ‘Gay’ people working in their corporate office (I work within Target offices very often).
Find something else to complain about – like our President
Curt
Comment by Curt Misialek — August 17, 2010 @ 8:44 AM |
Curt, I completely agree. Target CAN do what they want with their money. If they want to give it away in ways that piss off their customers, that’s their right (as of the Citizen’s United ruling). It may cost them some customers, gain some new ones, or garner greater support from some current ones. In the end, they’ll do what’s best for their shareholders. That being said, it seems like it’s generally good business to not piss off a portion of your customer base.
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 18, 2010 @ 10:48 AM |
Ed, I’m not into shopping at anti-gay establishments. When I see fascist goons (moveon.org, HRC) try to mug somebody, I support the good guy.
Comment by Mike Cullinan — August 17, 2010 @ 3:06 PM |
Mike, could you explain your definition of “fascist” is in this context? It seems like the opposite would be more accurate. What am I missing?
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 18, 2010 @ 10:50 AM |
By fascist I mean moveon.org and HRC trying to dictate what candidate a business may or may not support. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the USSC decision on limits, the actions of these two activist groups are deeply offensive. Threats, intimidation, and the attempted suppression of political speech is fascist.
If these groups try to extort money from any other business or individual for supporting the candidate of their choice, they need to be told to cram it and gt lost, in no uncertain terms.
Comment by Mike Cullinan — August 19, 2010 @ 3:53 PM
@Mike, thanks for clarifying. I now know that you don’t know what fascism means.
What we’re seeing here is bottom up, rather than top down based on a government dictatorship. If consumers try to extort money from businesses, businesses are perfectly capable of saying “no”. It’s just business. You’re not suppressing political speech by voting with your pocketbook on preferred toilet paper stores. That’s a free market at work.
The free market can be messy, which is a reason that corporations tend to avoid doing things that can piss off groups of their customers.
BTW, I get a kick out of people that say they’re going to shop MORE at Target because of their decisions. Do you suddenly need more toilet paper? Deodorant? If it means you’ll be shopping less at Wal-Mart, that’s cool. Otherwise, help me understand where you’re shifting your money from. Or, are you making stuff up?
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 19, 2010 @ 8:45 PM |
BTW Ed
as you know Target carries many items,, it I need ice cream, I go to target instead of a grocery store, if I need some basic hardware items I try them first instead of a hardware store. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out. With just a little of effort I can shift spending some that will make a difference when thousands do. To attack the lower socioeconomic with comments about Wal-Mart truly show an arrogance that those that support moveon have. I feel sorry for you.
Comment by Bob Heaston — August 21, 2010 @ 7:05 AM |
Bob the much proffered tolerance and understanding of the Left is a sham when challenged with the conflicting opinions of the nonconformist. Hate and coordinated smears are the result. Group think or nothing for the Progressive. A dangerous mindset for society and liberty.
Comment by SwittersB — August 21, 2010 @ 7:19 AM
I’m gonna shop at Target twice as much now. Don’t give in to political blackmail target and you’ll come out ahead! Keep supporting family values and marriage against sicko perverts who want to intimidate their opposition into silence.
Comment by Johnny Lopez — August 21, 2010 @ 5:27 AM |
Is there a way to boycott move on and support Target and Best Buy.
Comment by Bob Heaston — August 21, 2010 @ 6:55 AM |
Oh Ed
It is so funny to hear your Rhetoric. The tea party of old and new is a demonstration that the liberal point of view is not the right one because they can speak well (the British of old found this out also). To attack ones economic status does not reinforce your opinion, it only shows your prejudice and intolerance of others. Funny the same thing that you say the right should not be doing. It seems you play the “Hate and coordinated smears” card when it suits you, but you do not live by the same rule yourself. Where I come from that is hypocrisy. This means that your idea of Liberty is incorrect and not founded on what a democracy is. In reality it seems you and moveon have it backwards.
Comment by Bob Heaston — August 21, 2010 @ 8:26 AM |
Apparently I was wasn’t clear enough about what I was getting at when I mentioned WalMart. My point was that Target is at least a bit more local.
Bob, to insinuate that I was attacking Walmart shoppers is quite a reach. I’m not sure how you got there.
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 21, 2010 @ 8:37 AM |
Ed you prove my point. Your opinion is VERY clear! Did I say anything about Walmart?
Comment by Bob Heaston — August 21, 2010 @ 9:07 AM |
@Bob, I was referencing your 7:05am comment.
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 21, 2010 @ 9:20 AM |
I’m going to support Target a lot more now!!
Comment by Jaime Thissen — August 21, 2010 @ 12:16 PM |
For some supporting Target is because of moral issue of the gay life style. For me, it is an opposition to strong arm tactics and resistance to a combined assault upon the country as a whole. This is bigger than the gay life style. If civil unions are not enough then there is a bigger agenda that speaks to the over all intent. Support Target to resist the strong arm.
Comment by SwittersB — August 21, 2010 @ 12:23 PM |
SwittersB, it seems like you’re in a tough position. Target funds candidates who oppose gay marriage yet provide same sex benefits to employees. How do you decide which is a bigger threat to your heterosexuality?
Comment by Ed Kohler — August 21, 2010 @ 1:28 PM |
Ed, You are not following the conversation. The whole point of what SwittersB just said just blew right past you. The strong arm (i.e. fascist) tactics of moveon and HRC is the main issue. I don’t doubt that there are plenty of gay people who are reasonable and moderate. I’m afraid it’s like the situation in Israel and Palestine. There are moderates on both sides, but it is the extremists who keep the conflict going.
Target contributes $150K to a candidate because he is pro-business. Incidental to his business views, that candidate also has a position on gay marriage, and moveon is suddenly down on Target because Target didn’t come to them and say, “Mother may I?”
The vicious ideology and trying to chill political discourse is what I have a problem with. It’s not just Target. There is also the “knowthyneighbor” website, which publishes the names and addresses of people who signed petitions in their states opposing the gay agenda. These people are therefore exposed to intimidation and harassment for participating in the political process.
After Prop 8 passed, a like-minded effort collected names and addresses of individuals who contributed money to the effort and put them on a website, with suggestions like “pay so-and-so a visit”, or “Call this person’s employer.” As a result of this, people received death threats on their voice mails, had their property vandalized, got hounded out of jobs.
When I related these events to someone on alt.activism.homosexuality, his response was that the people deserved it.
Of course, had any of these things happened to his gay friends, he would denounce it as a hate crime.
That’s the problem that I see with much of the gay-rights activism. It is full of bile and venom. It is a classic True Believer, all-or-nothing mentality. No discourse is possible with such ones. You either support gay marriage, or you a despicable insect, and nothing that happens to you is too bad for you.
Based on what I’ve observed, it’s going to get ugly. I just hope more people realize what groups like moveon and HRC are trying to do and start to fight back. As for me, I’m going to add my atom of influence any way that I can, like spending more dollars at Target rather than other places.
Comment by Mike Cullinan — August 21, 2010 @ 4:17 PM |
Mike ,,,, it don’t believe I could have said it any better,,,, I hope Ed can understand now
Comment by Bob Heaston — August 22, 2010 @ 8:01 AM
@Mike, I think we’re pretty close on this issue. To me, gay rights groups had been big supporters of Target because, among big box retailers, the company had made a solid effort to be a gay-friendly place to shop and work. Because of actions they took that were out of line with the PR story they had created, people reacted. They didn’t react because they were looking for a hand-out. They reacted because they legitimately care about gay rights issues, which Target seemed to care less about in light of the campaign contributions they made.
Because people have gone well beyond protesting or boycotting an organization in the past doesn’t make protesting or boycotting bad tactics. They seem like free speech cases to me. And no, I don’t support vandalism, death threats, etc.
You seem to be relying on straw man arguments based on extremists to make your arguments. I think you could do better.
Comment by edkohler — October 15, 2010 @ 8:12 PM
I SUPPORT TARGET 100%!!!! If you guys knew that Target donates to a Gay and Lesbian Charity then their wouldnt be s*** talking. So keep up with your lil protests that aren’t doing anything. Good luck taking down a GIANT like Target! We’ll always be here!
Comment by Corona — August 21, 2010 @ 11:49 PM |
You’re right: Good luck taking down Target. But, it still feels good to not spend money at a company where one doesn’t share their political beliefs. Maybe you can double down your Target spending to make up for my lack of spending in Target stores?
Comment by edkohler — October 15, 2010 @ 8:14 PM |
I support Target 100% and will do my shopping there. Move-on is a bunch of left wing idiotic fools that thrive on distorting the truth. To bad, try again George. Put your money where it will do the most good—toilet paper.
Comment by Terry Bonham — October 13, 2010 @ 4:11 PM |
I’m not sure why MoveOn jumped on this story, but I’m curious to find out from you: Specifically, what truth did MoveOn distort related to Target?
Comment by edkohler — October 15, 2010 @ 8:16 PM |
I SUPPORT MY TARGET STORES!!!! MOVEON IS BACKED BY GEORGE SOROS. WHAT SAY YOU?
Comment by MoveOver MoveOn — October 13, 2010 @ 10:12 PM |
Could you elaborate a bit? What, specifically, is wrong with George Soros or MoveOn?
Comment by edkohler — October 15, 2010 @ 8:16 PM |
Ed…don’t play games. Soros backs agenda that are Leftist as does MoveOn. If one doesn’t approve of those agendas then one opposes the backing. I support Target because they backed, financially, a candidate that stands against such agendas. The line is drawn. The Left has pushed so far and hard. Now, we push back. The Left stands aghast at the resistance. The Left has to come to terms with resistance. Not just from the religious right, but from citizens that smell an intent that is well beyond gays. Frankly, you won’t be missed at Target. Perhaps Soros and his ilk can ruin Target behind the financial scenes. That is the Leftist way isn’t it? Frankly, personally, I support Gay unions and their love for one another. But, I do not support muscle from either the Right or Left that is rabid and enmeshed with a BIGGER agenda. The bigger agenda is the issue that all smell now.
Comment by SwittersB — October 16, 2010 @ 9:51 AM
Target is a Great Store! The fact that Target donated to Conservatives makes me like the store even more. As usual, Move On is Distorting the Truth. Their motive is to Stifle Free Speech, and Control Target and others to toe the Move On LIne. BTW, I’m Gay.
Comment by Patrick — October 16, 2010 @ 7:58 AM |
@SwittersB, your 9:51 AM comment is a bit conspiratorial for me to fully comprehend. To me, the Target was more of a case of gay rights than a MoveOn thing. MoveOn jumped on it after many gay rights groups firscalled BS on Target’s inconsistencies.
It’s not every day that I hear someone asking like the Chamber of Commerce is the little guy in a fight. In the end, people will spend their money wherever they choose. Informing people about the politics of the businesses they visit gives them more information to consider when choosing where to spend their money. I don’t see how that hurts anyone.
Comment by edkohler — October 16, 2010 @ 1:24 PM |
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_159217164109040
Comment by guillermo — October 17, 2010 @ 6:59 AM |
Lol, it seems that Target pissed off his gay costumers and their supporters for nothing.
Comment by Adam — December 11, 2010 @ 1:36 AM |
Principles stand whether you win or lose some election. LOL!
Comment by SwittersB — December 11, 2010 @ 9:44 AM |
Gay activists would like you to believe they are the majority, but they are not! Most of America still supports traditional values and morals as witnessed by the many States that have voted against redefining “Marriage”. Do not let MoveOn, HRC, or other similar groups corrupt your thinking. Continue to resist their bullying and you will be rewarded by the majority. Thank you for standing up for your morals and your freedom! We support you. I think I’ll go shopping at Target now.
Comment by Standup4morals — June 14, 2012 @ 7:57 AM |