Last month, we praised Tractor Supply for its response after it was outed as being a woke nightmare, with the CEO establishing a DEI council, LGTBQ training for all employees, funding of pride and drag events, funding sex changes, engaging in climate change activism, and more. Tractor Supply felt the conservative backlash and released a statement promising, "Going forward, we will ensure our activities and giving tie directly to our business." For example, Tractor Supply vowed to "eliminate DEI roles and retire our current DEI goals while still ensuring a respectful environment."
That was June. Now, CNN has picked up on the story and put its own spin on it:
The below headline is from our "journalist" friends at CNN.
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) July 11, 2024
Quick question for my more rural followers: Are you aware of a single living human being who frequents Tractor Supply AND thinks the climate "crisis" is an actual thing, or is a promoter of DEI????? pic.twitter.com/R6fbdPa8lP
Nathaniel Meyersohn reports for CNN:
The company announced last month that it will withdraw its carbon emission reduction goals and eliminate jobs and goals focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. It will also stop sponsoring LGBTQ+ Pride festivals and voting campaigns, as well as submitting data to the Human Rights Campaign, one of the biggest LGBTQ+ non-profit advocacy groups in the United States.
By walking away from diversity and climate goals, Tractor Supply has become the latest corporate giant to retreat from progressive initiatives it once promoted, joining Bud Light, Target and others. Although the company’s changes have placated some customers, they have hurt its reputation with other customers and employees and could bring on the type of risks the brand recently warned about.
Tractor Supply is “trying to thread the needle,” said Nooshin Warren, a professor of marketing at the University of Arizona who studies corporate activism and corporate political culture. “They’re trying to keep both sides happy, which usually never happens.”
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They don't need to keep both sides happy. They need to keep customers and shareholders happy.
And for the urbanites among us, please know that Tractor Supply is a red state staple for people who work the land. It's half Ace Hardware, half livestock feed lot.
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) July 11, 2024
I have one about a mile from my house and I'm pretty sure that if you have green hair or a nose ring you are…
… you are denied service. (Well, not really, but you'll get some funny looks.)
This entire concept makes as much sense as saying Whole Foods needs to spend more time promoting gun rights.
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) July 11, 2024
It should.
TSC is responding to customer complaints beautifully. Never discount your base customer for .1%. They learned hard but made changes quickly. We shop there at least weekly.
— What if (@TryingAgain2X) July 11, 2024
They were fully onboard with all that crap until last week. @robbystarbuck put them on blast over the last month and they appear to have reversed course. Sounds like CNN is trying to guilt them back the wrong way.
— Conservative Aggie Marine (@rcpalmerii) July 11, 2024
CNN again lifting stories from X and putting a woke spin on them. "Now it's ignoring those risks." What risks? A lack of DEI programs? That was certainly hurting business.
Just when you think CNN could not be more out of touch...
— Todd Alden (@ToddA76401) July 11, 2024
The race to signal virtue can't escape basic economics. Razor thin margins, inflation, and poor consumer sentiment have been the best deterrents from the madness. In the end, a man has gotta eat. There isn't a better qualified group of people to be in the know about how well the…
— mini_schnauzer (@RickGamache) July 11, 2024
There isn't a better qualified group of people to be in the know about how well the planet is doing. Farmers aren't buying the BS.
CNN has a record of shaking down businesses that don't toe the liberal line, naming and shaming companies that haven't yet stopped advertising on media outlets they don't like. It's blackmail.
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