James Lileks gave me a shout-out on the podcast (around :45 or so) the other day. He was kind enough to say my blog was the place to go for info on the Minnesota Gubernatorial race and the exceedingly slimy campaign the DFL and the Daytons have run against Tom Emmer and, of course, Target.
Info here on Target’s donations to charities and its commitment to charity and “social progress“.
Tracing the funding behind the group driving all the anti-Emmer, anti-business, anti-Target astroturf.
James’ reference to the “stage managed video” of the “nonpolitical” woman cutting up her Target card; the woman happened to be a long-time liberal activist. Here’s a list of other Minnesota companies donating to “MNForward“, a pro-business group.
James’ reference to the specious connection to the “extremist” group explained here.
The local media is straining to show that Target’s stock price is falling due to the crisis (if it is, then so is every single mid-level retailer), and how capital investment firms are urging Target to quit donating to conservatives (unmentioned: the firms have negligible holdings in Target, and the “firms” are all politically motivated).
I was wondering where Lileks’ unpopular screechy stuff went to! Strange to post his right-wing mutterings on such an obscure site, almost as if he didn’t want anyone…to…know…about–oh yes, it all makes sense now.
You made a comment about stock prices falling.
One of the more interesting things I’ve read this week was a Stanford study which suggested that actual retail sales was a more effective measure of the effectiveness of a boycott.
So whether the media is correct about Target stock prices or not may in fact be irrelevant to the impact of the boycott.
Seems to me this would be a good project for one of King Banions’ students to do their masters or phd on – the Target boycott.
In any case the larger movement relating to moral purchasing and consumer activism is a fascinating one – and it can be surprisingly effective.
Ah yes, the “Target boycott”, better referred to as “left-wing pressure groups who hate free speech (except their own), attempting to intimidate people out of their Constitutional rights”.
In other words, people with Timmy’s mentality (and obvious IQ).
In any polarizing issue a boycott would be of limited effectiveness. If the boycott has a high profile, people on the other side may change their shopping habits to counter the boycott.
Target is building a new outlet in East Hawaii, slated to open next summer. They already have a store in Kona. I haven’t heard anything about the boycott other than through SITD. Seems like a Minnesota issue.
If the DFL wins this fall and tries to “punish” Target for donating to a pro-business candidate, it will be another reason for them to move their HQ to a friendlier state.
According to Forbes, 2nd quarter retail sales at Target were higher than last year:
Retail giant Target Corp. ( TGT – news – people ) on Wednesday posted a 14% gain in second-quarter profit, as higher retail segment sales pushed revenue up from last year.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/18/target-earnings-retail-markets-dividend-yield.html?boxes=Homepagechannels
Given the way that the media in the TC let themselves be pushed around by various activist groups, I don’t doubt that if a single Target store in the TC metro area sees reduced retail sales, this will be promoted as Target feeling unbearable pressure from the boycott.
DG,
You have a point, obviously; stock prices and sales reflect different things. Target’s 2Q sales are up – but 2Q was before the flap.
However, early reports are that 3Q is going very well as well. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the “boycott” isn’t backfiring – but of course, the media aren’t sympathetic with the backlashers.
The “boycott” is purely astroturf; a bunch of loudmouthed “activists” bankrolled by well-heeled groups making lots of heat but no real light. But then, its purpose isn’t really to punish Target; it’s to intimidate smaller companies from participating in (conservative) politics.
What I find particularly Hi-larious is that if Target is taking a hit from this moonbat flap, it’s because they opened a franchise in the bat cave in the first place.
Target has bent over for every leftist victims group that came down the pike, and now they have rightly come to believe they “own” the company.
Naturally when they detected a trip off the plantation, leftists were outraged.
Target made this bed, let them lie in it.
Mitch, speaking of local media, I saw back to back interviews on Ch 4 WDFL this morning.
The first interview was of Emmer. She kept on claiming Tom doesn’t have any specifics; then Emmer would give some specifics and she would continue to repeat the chanting point that he hasn’t given any specifics. Emmer admitted he hasn’t given ALL of his specifics yet. He admitted that he wants to peek the first week in November, not the third week in August. But she kept on saying Emmer hasn’t given ANY specifics…
The next was an interview of Hakim Ellison. Nothing but softballs.
//liberal moonbat on//
And you wingnuts claim liberal bias when the media is actually controlled by the right wing corporations! [insert dean scream here]!!
//moonbat off//
Apparently, the general population is not impressed with the leftist commies attempts at intimidation, because on a trip to Target in Edina on Saturday evening, I saw lots of full carts. Rock on Target!