In the latest example of an American billionaire misreading – or perhaps willfully ignoring – the populist leanings of the electorate, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is reportedly horrifying the Democratic establishment by very publicly flirting with the possibility of an independent run for president.
Rumors about Schultz – a lifelong Democrat – possibly throwing his hat into the ring in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination first surfaced after he left the company last year. But in recent weeks, a flurry of media reports warning that Schultz might launch an independent bid for the nomination triggered fits of apoplexy in the Democratic establishment.
Responding to this perceived threat, anonymous Democratic strategists have been warning every reporter in their rolodex that – best case scenario – Schultz’s independent bid is an embarrassing flop. Worst case: He peels off enough swing state voters to hand Trump a second term.
Of course, Schultz isn’t the only out of touch billionaire weighing a run in 2020. But at least Oprah and Bloomberg are focused on seeking the Democratic nomination – meaning that, after Biden locks up the nomination, they can be expected to line up behind the nominee. If Schultz follows through and manages to get on the ballot, it could be very, very bad for the Democrats.
So far, Schultz’s political ambitions have been confined to a few anonymously sourced media reports and maybe an appearance of two on CNBC. But on Sunday night, Schultz will make his first direct appeal to the American public during an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, where, according to a preview published by the network, he is expected to expound upon the failures of the American two-party system.
While Trump is “not qualified” to be president, Schultz says in the clip, the Democrats shoulder some of the blame for the dysfunction in Washington thanks to both parties’ focus on “revenge politics”.
Howard Schultz, the billionaire former CEO of Starbucks, tells Scott Pelley he believes Donald Trump is not qualified to lead the U.S. and that politicians in both parties are failing the American people. The wide-ranging interview with Schultz that includes discussion of his life and his former business will be broadcast on 60 Minutes, Sunday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
“We’re living at a most-fragile time,” Schultz says. “Not only the fact that this president is not qualified to be the president, but the fact that both parties are consistently not doing what’s necessary on behalf of the American people and are engaged, every single day, in revenge politics.”
As a writer for the Atlantic points out, running on the platform that the Democrats and Republicans are essentially two sides of the same coin is an interesting strategy, considering that Americans are more polarized in terms of their party affiliation today than at any point in the country’s history.
Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO, says in a 60 Minutes interview already recorded but airing on Sunday that he is thinking very seriously about a presidential run – but he stops short of a full announcement.
He makes clear, however, that if he moves forward, he will do so as an independent.
Already top Democratic operatives working for presidential candidates and beyond say they’re worried that the only thing he’ll accomplish is making sure Donald Trump gets re-elected. It’s more than just sniping at a prospective opponent; word that he might invest in an independent run has many of them clearly worried about how he’d split votes in a general election.
Lest readers come away with the idea that the ability to choose between a plurality of candidates is good for Democracy, the reporter lends some space to one of the above-mentioned anonymous Democratic strategists, who explains why a Schultz independent run would be a danger to the country (as opposed to just being a quixotic quest by an out-of-touch billionaire who has apparently badly misunderstood the rise of populism).
And to add a degree of “balance” to the story, the Atlantic quotes infamous “Never Trump” Republican Bill Kristol.
“Trump’s strategy has always been divide and conquer, and this plays directly into his hands,” said one Democratic strategist, who was wary of taking on Schultz openly ahead of any announcement. “He’s Ralph Nader without any of Nader’s redeeming qualities. What’s his value proposition for America? Make America like a corporate chain?”
Democrats aren’t the only ones who see Schultz as potentially helping Trump win a second term. Bill Kristol, the Never Trump Republican who is most active both in media appearances and private conversations representing the GOP resistance to the president, said he wouldn’t support an independent run either.
“One reason my colleagues and I are focused on a Republican primary challenge to Trump – apart from the fact that we’re Republicans – is that it doesn’t present any of the problems of inadvertently helping him by being a spoiler,” Kristol wrote in an email.
Even the head of the Washington State Democratic Party thinks this is a bad idea.
Tina Podlodowski, the Washington State Democratic chair, blasted the idea of Schultz running as an independent in the press last week.
She underscored her point on Friday in a fundraising email sent to donors, with the subject line “Howard Schultz could secure Trump’s re-election.”
“This worst-case scenario keeps me up at night. I want to spend our resources fighting for Democrats up and down the ballot, not fending off Howard Schultz’s independent bid,” she wrote.
But just as the frustrated Republican establishment learned when Donald Trump started leading the polls, if Schultz follows through, Democrats won’t have much recourse to stop him. Schultz has a fortune of $3.3 billion to play around with. That can pay for a lot of campaign mailers and “walk around” time.
via ZeroHedge News http://bit.ly/2RRRYNn Tyler Durden