Talk radio pundit and former state legislator Tom Emmer is running to become the new Michele Bachmann.  He fits the part.  Remember, this is the guy who sponsored a “nullification” amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that says Minnesota won’t obey any American laws – civil rights protections, interstate commerce rules, banning of health insurance pre-existing condition limitations, etc. – unless the Minnesota Legislature agrees to do so by a two-thirds majority, a threshold that in recent times has proven to be nearly unattainable.

In other words, Mr. Emmer wants to go to Washington to set federal laws, which he wants Minnesotans to ignore.  It makes perfect sense.

If Mr. Emmer can win the GOP nomination, he will become the new Michele, since Bachmann’s district has been custom gerrymandered for GOP domination.  There won’t be a lot of suspense in that general election contest.

But one interesting question that remains is whether Minnesota-based Target Corporation will again back Emmer, and his anti-choice, anti-fair wage, anti-gay rights, anti-tax, anti-contraceptive, and pro-nullification ways.

To be fair, an  Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel vigorously defended its 2010 backing of Emmer by insisting that he was merely purchasing the anti-tax and anti-fair wage portion of Emmer, not the anti-choice, anti-gay rights, anti-contraceptive, pro-nullification portion of him.

But this CEO spin was not especially satisfying to millions of Target’s liberal and moderate customers.  Target’s bankrolling of Emmer resulted in a long string of negative news stories, a national boycott, social media mocking, in-store protests and stockholder questioning.  It was not the Target brand’s finest hour.

The Citizens United Supreme Court decision makes it legal for retailers to play political games under their brand, but that doesn’t make it advisable.  Putting a multi-billion dollar retail brand in the middle of the crossfire of society’s most polarizing issues is wreckless brand management.

Still, Mr. Steinhafel seems to have an appetite for being a GOP kingmaker.  In 2010, he made it clear that he was leaving the door open to dragging the Target brand back into more political food fights.  All the guys at the country club will be donating to front groups supporting Emmer, and Steinhafel remains motivated to keep both his income taxes and his employees’ minimum wages low.  Backing Emmer again will be awfully tempting for him.

Loveland

Note:  This post was also featured in Politics in Minnesota’s Best of the Blogs.