ON TARGET

Protesters have been rallying outside Target Corp. or its stores almost daily since the retailer angered gay rights supporters and progressives by giving money to help a conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. Liberal groups are pushing to make an example of the company, hoping its woes will deter other businesses from putting their corporate funds into elections.



A national gay rights group is negotiating with Target officials, demanding that the firm balance the scale by making comparable donations to benefit candidates it favors. Meanwhile, the controversy is threatening to complicate Target's business plans in other urban markets. Several city officials in San Francisco, one of the cities where Target hopes to expand, have begun criticizing the company.

"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.

Now first off, Hogue is lying. The criticism is from MoveOn.org, not Target customers. As discussed below, gays are simply not enough of a percentage of the total population to be a target market. Except for Vaseline.

Okay, I know that was in bad taste. But it was a little funny, right?

The point is, Hogue is not upset because Target is involving itself in the election process. Hogue is upset because Target is involving itself with a candidate not endorsed by MoveOn.org.

Apparently, it is only WRONG to support candidates who are not liberal.

MoveOn.org is obviously full of themselves after the California Prop 8 ruling, which is still due to be challenged.

Any sympathy MoveOn.org may have won on the marriage issue gets flushed down the toilet idiotic moves like this.

You see, I believe that Target has the right to endorse whomever they want. And contrary to the bile being spewed by Hogue and the other liberals who represent a small minority of the population, I believe Target’s customers will feel the same way.

Now as distasteful as I find organizations like MoveOn.org, I also feel that they have the right to boycott whomever they want.

And I think that a lot of conservative organizations are likely to exercise the same right to demonstrate and boycott, and jump into this silly little duel that the gay activists have started.

I think it will be a mistake for Target to cave to the left-leaning groups, but it seems like the Minneapolis-based chain has gone from defending the donation as a business decision to apologizing and saying it would carefully review its future giving.

Come on Target-show a little backbone! If you’re going to go after a target (no pun intended) market, there’s got to be more profit in targeting (again, no pun intended) Christians than gays.

Gays probably have more disposable income, but there are a heckuva lot more Christians and they’ve got lots of kids. You may decide they are better for business.

You see, gays claim to be ten percent of the population, but according to several sites I researched, the actual number is closer to one percent.

Eighty-five percent of the population is Christian. Another three-to-five percent is Muslim. Those are some pretty big numbers who are probably in your corner, Target.

Bullseye!

Tell MoveOn.org to pound sand!

Can you let the Salvation Army set up in front of the store again this Christmas? You’re sending out some mixed messages here…