You likely dont know much about Howard Schultzs politics, but you know his accomplishment. He built Starbucks into a ubiquitous brand. Can a billionaire barista also build a national political organization and make a serious run for president as an independent candidate?
Good question. America hasnt seen a wealthy outsider candidate from the business world become president since, um, well, two years ago. President Donald Trumps election was a triumph of showmanship over governance expertise. Depending on whos doing the talking, Trumps term in office is either proud proof that anyone can grow up to be president, or dire evidence that only seasoned political figures should get the job.
Weve been critical of Trumps leadership skills. That doesnt mean we presume the next president will be or should be a Republican governor, Democratic senator or other breed of traditional politician.
Every presidential election is different, and by nature each race is a referendum on the previous four years. Perhaps Trump wins re-election. Perhaps hes defeated by a big-name Democrat such as Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren or former Vice President Joe Biden. Perhaps the next president is none of the above.
Schultz, who told 60 Minutes on Sunday hes considering a run (and sounded like the answer is yes), certainly would be an off-the-menu option. He calls himself a centrist independent frustrated by what he sees as the ideological drift of both parties toward extremes. He aligns more Democratic than Republican but decries a liberal wish-list proposal for free health care; he says its unaffordable. He rightly criticizes the nations perilous $21 trillion debt level, supports broad immigration reform and, as a former CEO of a global company, is critical of Trumps isolationist tendencies. Were much better as a country being part of the world order, he said.
One TV interview wont determine the viability of his candidacy, though it seems to have annoyed plenty of Democratic Party activists. Theyve done the math and determined Schultz can only be a spoiler who siphons away enough Democratic votes to give Trump a victory. Schultzs camp retorts that he would take equally from both major parties candidates.
ALLOW US to point out gently how Democratic officials misjudged the last race; they were sure Hillary Clinton would win. Its awfully early for them to be anticipating the outcome of the 2020 election. It promises to be a wide-open contest on the Democratic side. Whether Trump faces a primary challenge whether he even chooses to run isnt yet known. The more choices for voters, the more opportunities they have to express preferences and shape the national discussion.
As for Schultz, its true that independent and third-party presidential candidates usually fail to get traction. Maybe he disappears quickly from view, or maybe he makes an impact on the campaign trail. As a wealthy outsider and something of a business celebrity, hell get media attention and ceaselessly remind all of us that he isnt a career pol.
So lets not rule out an astonishing upset by the cappuccino kid. Remember 2016.
The Chicago Tribune
