Minnesotan and CEO of RBC Wealth Management John G. Taft (yes, of those political Tafts) raised some eyebrows this month by writing an opinion piece called "The cry of the true Republican" late last month in the New York Times.
The harsh piece on the current Republican brand also raised the question: Is John G. Taft thinking about running for office? The answer is an unequivocal: no.
"I am not running for, thinking about or involved in politics in the state," Taft said.
He said his piece for the Times was broader than partisanship and politics.
"My message in that article wasn't about the Republican Party, even though that was the theme," he said. "My message was about responsible behavior and responsible leadership and that really is what's lacking right now in Washington."
He said, while he is not aiming for office, he is politically engaged. He is a member of the Itaska Project, he said he is engaged in "an effort to retool the financial system so it's a force for good in society rather than being a force that disrupts the economy and people's lives" and had been very involved in working to defeat last year's constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage.
Last year, Taft gave at least $25,000 to the successful Minnesota campaign to defeat the constitutional amendment. In the previous 14 years, he had donated $8,875 to Minnesota causes and candidates, which included contributions to Democratic, Republican and Independence Party candidates.
