Tag: Scott Pelley

Howard Schultz thinks politics are broken, and may run for president as an independent. Before there was Jill Stein, there was Ralph Nader. All argued that the Republican Party and the Democratic Party were basically the same, and the only way to make real change was to ditch them both. Yet here comes Howard Schultz, a billionaire who feels that he might be the answer to American politics, and that he’d run for president as an independent. What’s his value proposition for America? Schultz, a lifelong Democrat, would run under the theory that the answer to the political division in the country right now is moving away from party politics. Schultz would have to persuade millions of them to abandon the party to vote for him, while drawing enough Democratic votes away from a party that is energized and excited about taking out the president. For the past year, Schultz has been investing in burnishing his image and strategizing by hiring a number of experienced consultants, most prominently Steve Schmidt, the 2008 campaign manager for John McCain. Tina Podlodowski, the Washington State Democratic chair, blasted the idea of Schultz running as an independent in the press last week. Kristol wrote that he sees a silver lining to a run that doesn’t seem to be the billionaire’s intention: “For 2019 at least, the fact that serious people like Howard Schultz are considering an independent race might help bring home to more voters, including independents and some Republicans, how important it is to replace Trump.