There are less than two years to go in Donald Trump’s first term as the President of the United States, which means that right about now, lots of people are coming out of the woodwork saying they’re going to run for office. While they won’t all make it through, it’s still interesting to see who is going to attempt it, as some of the names are really surprising. One that we’re still a little shocked about? Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has announced that he is “seriously considering” running for president, and wow, people are really reacting.
Schultz is the former CEO of Starbucks, an obviously successful company in the United States and beyond, so he has a lot of power and influence. But does this mean he should run for the President of the United States? Does his job as the head of a huge company make him qualified enough to lead our country? Many people feel like the answer is a hard no, and they certainly aren’t being shy about expressing that. One thing is for sure: Schultz is getting a lot of crap for this decision (or this “almost” decision), and it’s a little entertaining to watch it all play out.
It all began when Schultz took to his Twitter account to announce that he is, indeed, considering the possibility of running.
I love our country, and I am seriously considering running for president as a centrist independent.
— Howard Schultz (@HowardSchultz) January 28, 2019
This announcement followed years of rumors and speculation. He would be running as an independent, which led many people to believe that he could inadvertently help Trump win a second term. Some people are wondering if Schultz could be the “next Jill Stein.”
Basically, what could happen is that a chunk of votes that could potentially go to a better-suited democratic candidate would instead go to Schultz, who would’t win… he would just take away those votes, and thus, allow the republican candidate (Trump) to win. It’s not ideal for many.
If you run as an independent, you’ll split the anti-#Trump vote and give us four more years of misery. Put your country above your ego. Either run for the Democratic nomination and respect the choice of the people or just don’t run at all!! Our future is at stake!
— Tennesseine (@Tennesseine) January 28, 2019
People are on Twitter literally begging him not to run:
Howard, I like your coffee, but please don’t do this. You’re not going to win. You’re just going to make it easier for @realDonaldTrump to win.
— David Cicilline (@davidcicilline) January 28, 2019
Even celebrities are getting in on the conversation:
And historians are chiming in!
As Eater points out, there are a few things about Schultz that could potentially make him a good candidate: he has given Starbucks employees some great benefits, making Starbucks an ideal place to work. He has also shown he can run a company more effectively than our current president. And in the past, he has tried to pursue activism through Starbucks, like with his “Race Together” campaign… except, well, that didn’t work out well.
My only real contribution to the Howard Schultz discourse is that this is the guy who thought we could solve racism by writing a phrase on a coffee cup ... so any idea of his that sounds good on paper but is wildly impractical does not shock me! https://t.co/fFYJr7t1Uv
— Marshall Shaffer (@media_marshall) January 28, 2019
Many are actually bringing up that campaign now as a reason he shouldn’t run:
The #Starbucks "Race Together" initiative was Schultz's idea. Anybody who forces underpaid, overworked, harried baristas to talk to strangers about the tricky subject of race shouldn't be President. https://t.co/p4L356JpG1
— Darius Brasher (@DariusBrasher) January 28, 2019
Yikes. These tweets are really putting this into perspective.
Seems like a good time to remind folks of that Starbucks "race together" idea. LOL.
— Brother MuteZone (@CommonSensai) January 28, 2019
Many just don’t think there are enough independent voters out there to even give Schultz a chance at winning.
Democracy is not about those who want to be leaders. It’s about the people. And in this moment of crisis, you would be putting your needs ahead of the people you claim to want to lead. Step back. Listen. We don’t need an “independent.” We need democracy.
— Baratunde (@baratunde) January 28, 2019
Although he’s insistent that it’s a good idea to run as an independent.
.@HowardSchultz, a lifelong Democrat, on why he would run for president as an independent: "It's clear that the country that we are living in needs change, not only change because of this president, but change because of toxicity and lack of compromise of both parties." pic.twitter.com/l4zniR7k59
— The View (@TheView) January 29, 2019
Sure, he might have good intentions…
Billionaire Howard Schultz: “If I should run for president, I am not in bed with any party. I am not in bed with any special interest. All I’m trying to do is one thing — walk in the shoes of the American people.”
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) January 29, 2019
📽@CNBC pic.twitter.com/zjzNVDl8y2
But what seems like an overwhelmingly majority of people agree: it’s not a good idea.
Please don’t bother! We don’t need any more white male billionaires in this government!
— Shattered Soul (@RoseConnolly8) January 29, 2019
Many are saying he should back a democratic candidate instead.
He should find a Democratic candidate to support and throw some of his billions into their campaign.
— Jim (@avian06) January 29, 2019
Some people think he’s taking himself too seriously:
So, will Schultz actually run?
The New York Times says there’s a danger “that the reality-distorting effects of being a billionaire will warp his judgment, convincing him that his business acumen is transferable to the realm of politics. If so, he could end up helping Donald Trump get re-elected.”
At least some people can manage to make a joke out of it!
Only time will tell us what ends up happening here, but we’ll definitely be watching.
