Starbuck's CEO Howard Schulz is apparently planning to run as an independent in 2020. I can't imagine a greater gift for Donald Trump.
I'm not quite sure how this happened... or if it really will, but the word on the e-street is that arch-progressive Howard Schulz wants to run as an independent against Donald Trump. His reason is that "both parties are broken." Well, duh. But I don't think that's really what he's thinking. We'll get to that in a minute. But first...
The Democrats are furious. Indeed, they are already comparing him to Ralph Nader and H. Ross Perot and they think he's going to cost them the election. I agree. The Democrats are in a war right now between pretend-moderate leftists and bat-sh*t-crazy progressives, and they don't seem likely to support each other. If Schulz runs as an independent, this dynamic goes from poison to nuclear explosion. First, all the Democrats will need to run further left to minimize Schulz. The problem with that is crazy doesn't look good to the public, and Schulz has no incentive to be sane. He'll just keep outbidding them on the left and they will try to leapfrog him.
Secondly, no matter what happens, the progressives will split. If the moderate wins, then all the progressives will flee to Schulz because now they have a home. That will generate an election that looks like Trump 47%, Biden 34%, Schulz 19%, Ann Coulter 0%. Winner: Trump.
So a progressive needs to win, right? Well, not really. Progressives are faux purists who will split either way because the Democrat or Schulz is too white, too male, too rich, too corporate, too insider, too tall, too carbon, too ancestors were slave owners, too you-get-the-point. In that case, the election will be Trump 47%, Warren 42%, Schulz 11%, Ann Coulter 0%. Winner: Trump.
Either way, Trump wins. Thank you H. Ross Schulz.
So why is Schulz doing this? Frankly, I think he's looked and decided he will get lost in the Democratic Primary, which seems to be headed toward a sort of pageant of Mental Institution proportions. By standing tall outside of it, (1) he gets noticed and doesn't vanish standing between Beto O'Rourke and Micheal Bloomberg, (2) he gets to pretend to be an outsider, (3) he doesn't have to win the support of Democratic King-makers, and (4) he gets free publicity from all the hand-wringing to come. It's calculated treachery. Kind of brilliant. Except, he can't win.
Thoughts?
I'm not quite sure how this happened... or if it really will, but the word on the e-street is that arch-progressive Howard Schulz wants to run as an independent against Donald Trump. His reason is that "both parties are broken." Well, duh. But I don't think that's really what he's thinking. We'll get to that in a minute. But first...
The Democrats are furious. Indeed, they are already comparing him to Ralph Nader and H. Ross Perot and they think he's going to cost them the election. I agree. The Democrats are in a war right now between pretend-moderate leftists and bat-sh*t-crazy progressives, and they don't seem likely to support each other. If Schulz runs as an independent, this dynamic goes from poison to nuclear explosion. First, all the Democrats will need to run further left to minimize Schulz. The problem with that is crazy doesn't look good to the public, and Schulz has no incentive to be sane. He'll just keep outbidding them on the left and they will try to leapfrog him.
Secondly, no matter what happens, the progressives will split. If the moderate wins, then all the progressives will flee to Schulz because now they have a home. That will generate an election that looks like Trump 47%, Biden 34%, Schulz 19%, Ann Coulter 0%. Winner: Trump.
So a progressive needs to win, right? Well, not really. Progressives are faux purists who will split either way because the Democrat or Schulz is too white, too male, too rich, too corporate, too insider, too tall, too carbon, too ancestors were slave owners, too you-get-the-point. In that case, the election will be Trump 47%, Warren 42%, Schulz 11%, Ann Coulter 0%. Winner: Trump.
Either way, Trump wins. Thank you H. Ross Schulz.
So why is Schulz doing this? Frankly, I think he's looked and decided he will get lost in the Democratic Primary, which seems to be headed toward a sort of pageant of Mental Institution proportions. By standing tall outside of it, (1) he gets noticed and doesn't vanish standing between Beto O'Rourke and Micheal Bloomberg, (2) he gets to pretend to be an outsider, (3) he doesn't have to win the support of Democratic King-makers, and (4) he gets free publicity from all the hand-wringing to come. It's calculated treachery. Kind of brilliant. Except, he can't win.
Thoughts?
An interesting hypothesis Andrew. I keep thinking Kampala Harris May be the nominee because she represents the two largest Democrat identity politics victim groups, blacks and women. Like Obama, she is relatively articulate, light complexioned. This will attract both hard core “I’m With her” feminists as well as black voters. Whether or not she can be tarred or not is a question. There were always rumors her rise in California Justice Department came by letting Ron Brown bang her like a screen door in a tornado.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, whatever misgivings I have about the Trumpster pale in comparison to letting these insane iberals regain control of our government. So if your theory does pan off, I say yippee Ki Yay
More runaway auto spell correct, sorry
ReplyDeleteJed, I saw this morning that Harris is in trouble because she was a prosecutor and... she sent people to jail!! The dirty fiend!
ReplyDeleteThe Democrats have gone utterly nuts. Hopefully, the public grasps that.
And here comes the gift that keep on giving... the plague that keeps on plaguing... the thing that will not die... Hillary has said that she's still considering running in 2020 because she thinks she got cheated in 2016.
ReplyDeleteUh... yes, please.
Folks, this is turning into a circus of epic proportions. It's like a poorly written, unbelievable comedy. Thank God that you are not on the left!
You knew she would. She would sell Chelsea into human slave trafficking for the presidency. Remember those bop bag punching bags for kids. They had someones image and you would punch it, knockit over and it would spring back up to be punched again. I still remember this turd at the debate castigating Trump for not accepting the result. But in the book Shattered, her own campaign manager admitted how the Russian tampering mème was crafted almost immediately.
ReplyDeleteI do think there are enough millenials and others out there who are flat out tired of her and the dynasty that she will have a hard time gaining clear traction. She only plays when she thinks the deck is completely stacked in her favor and this time it isn’t
I'm doubt Schultz's positions (free trade is good, climate change is a big problem, government spending is out of control and that there is too much venom in politics) will do him any wonders. He'd have a better chance of catching fire if he drew crappy cartoons, engaged in wild conspiracy theories of went on profane rants.
ReplyDeleteOf course one doesn't need to win a big chunk of the vote to make a difference in a tight election but I think Schultz is more likely to be a scapegoat than a spoiler.
Jed, It almost seemed that she was ready to step aside officially and hand the torch to Chelsea, but it really does seem that she just can't let go. What a mess! I hope she does decide to run. She can't win, but she can cause chaos and splits all over the place.
ReplyDeleteAnthony, I think Schulz wants to run as a moderate economically and a progressive socially, but he doesn't fit in a Democratic Party that increasingly wants whackos, light brown people, and women.
ReplyDeleteI think he's hoping that be starting his run as an independent, he gets noticed. Then he can either become a high profile Democrat right before he officially runs or genuinely thinks he can win over the center from both parties.
I don't think either works.
That said, in a race that comes down to recounts in many states, he could definitely spoil it for the Democrats.
Somewhat aside from Schulz, a friend presented an interesting theory that may hold some water. It looks like maybe the Democrats could recreate the 12-ring circus that was the 2016 GOP primary. This would be odd because Democrats don't do this. (Or let it happen?) My first reaction was, not gonna happen. But what if Hillary or whoever the Democrats' anointed one turns out to be sets out to "prove" that they can beat out a crowded primary, just like Trump? I don't think it would be a good strategy, but I can see how a desperate Democrat strategist might think it could be. If Democrats do go this direction AND Shulz is out there, things could get crazy!
ReplyDeletetryanmax, I think it's going to get crazy. Look at the candidate list:
ReplyDeleteBernie Sanders: A century of experience at being wrong.
Elizabeth Warren: Fake Indian, beer swilling, wants to tax billionaires (I'll talk about that later). Seems lost.
Kamala Harris: Prosecutor who put black people in jail. California fruit cake. Not sure what her platform is, but it will likely be "I'm black" or "I'm woman."
Schultz: I'm a corporate spoiler.
Bloomberg: Ban 16 oz cups! And guns! Yay Jews!
Biden: Aging gaffe machine will try to be rational.
Gavin Newsome: I'm plastic and I want socialized medicine for all!
Hillary: I AM HILLARY!
Beto O'Rourke: Dude, I don't want to run and stuff, but like I need to like win and stuff because I'm like so hip for a white dude that I should be in the White House. I'm pretty d*ckless too, so don't worry about me being male and stuff.
Others we have yet to get, but will add:
1. the de-fund ICE candidate
2. the $20 national minimum wage candidate
3. THE definitive woman's candidate, must be #metoo qualified and no one will dress her for the Oscars.
4. THE black lives matter candidate
5. random Governor with no plan but experience
6. unexpected Circus Candidate, likely billionaire, makes Elon Musk look stable. (Mark Cuban possible)
Outside shot: Mark Zuckerberg (the anti-Christ on the left)... DeBlasio... the Bug-Eyed Moron...
That's a hell of a circus.
I meant to say in the above that the "proving" to rise above a crowded field would be completely fake, but I think you figured that out. Democrats are in a very purist/cannibalistic mode these days. Nobody is going to make it out of their primary unscathed. Even if the whole primary is staged, they can't do anything to shut up their angry, vocal factions. It's literally impossible for one person to check off all of the Democrats' requirements.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. And that's what I think Schulz is thinking. He sees that and he thinks (1) I can't stand out in that field... I'll be "generic corporate white guy number two", but I can stand out apart from it, (2) I can't win the primary because I'm white and male and not insane, but I don't need to win it if I'm outside of it, and (3) the winner of that circus is going to be clownsmeared... I need to avoid that, and I can avoid it being outside where there is limited guilt by association.
ReplyDeleteI think he's playing a long shot, but his only good shot, which is to aim for the straights by running a moderate sounding campaign away from either party and hoping the rational people in both camps for a middle.
BTW, I think Kristin Gillibrand is the "abolish ICE" candidate in your list.
ReplyDeleteGood point. I forgot about her. Interestingly, she might try to be the #metoo candidate, except that the left is holding her destruction of Al Franken against her.
ReplyDeleteEach of these candidates has angered the left.
Sander: campaign managers were sexual harassers, rich, owns big house, not quick enough on black lives matter.
Harris: put black people in jail
Warren: old plus self-inflicted Indian DNA test wound
Schultz: corporate hack, consumerist, running as outsider to help Trump
Hillary: lost plus arrogant campaign
O'Rourk: ran poorly against Cruise because of arrogant campaign
Bloomberg: rich plus once Republican
That leaves Biden and Newsome for right now, and I'm sure they have angered the left too. Plus, they are white men.
There's another woman too who once opposed gay marriage and that's been her Albatross.
It is a messy list.
Good thoughts, Andrew, both about Schultz and the 2020 primary in general. Interesting that her past as a prosecutor is actually hurting Harris... Guess even the left isn't buying her story of that time in her life from her book. I'm not sure how much of it you'll find hilarious and how much you'll find cringeworthy, Andrew, but I'm sure you'll enjoy the commentary on it in any case.
ReplyDeleteOn the other candidates I'm not sure that Bernie's problems mean that much to the people who wanted him to win last time but I imagine he's going to have age and health working against both him and Biden regardless. The rest of the listed candidates' problems sound accurate to me and for the outside possibilities you mentioned thankfully Ocasio-Cortez is too young to run in 20 but it's a sure bet that she'll be running in 24 or 28 if she doesn't melt down first. DiBlasio sounds like he'd hit a lot of the right notes for the left although being a white man will definitely work against him. I hadn't heard about any presidential aspirations for Newsom but I have heard former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa floated as a possibility in the past. He'd fit the ethnic part but I'm not sure how his policies would stack up to the other candidates, not to mention he hasn't shown any signs of being interested in the job.
On Zuckerberg, I still find it interesting that the left hates him at least as much as the right does, if not moreso. I'm still not sure what this means in terms of him connecting to the public and what policies he'll ultimately propose but it's interesting to think about.
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteFirst I'll make the point I've been making for years. Black Lives Matter has been functionally dead since 2016, when cops started firing bad cops and wearing body cams. BLM are beloved on internet forums, but they can neither put boots on the ground nor win votes. Second, nobody runs as the black candidate and wins national office. Such people don't even win the black community. Anyway, on to the candidates.
Bernie Sanders - Old perpetual loser who doesn't play to the current obsessions of the leftist fringe
Elizabeth Warren - I'm not sure how much the fake Indian thing hurts her with the left, her big problem seems to be she is uncharismatic and timid (letting Hillary scare her out of running).
Kamala Harris - I don't see her being a ex-prosecutor being a problem. Successful Democratic candidates have not let themselves be seen as soft on crime (nods towards Obama and Clinton). She may lack the crucial gift of gab but she is the strongest candidate in a weak field.
Schultz - No name recognition, little charisma and he criticizes a party that heavy defines itself in opposition to Trump for being too anti-Trump. That alone kills him. He'd do better if he spouted off conspiracy theories or drew crappy cartoons.
Hillary - Horrendous candidate. Always has been, always will be. No charisma, reluctant campaigner, timid politically, poor instincts, the only asset she has is her name.
O'Rourke - All he has done thus far is lose. If he had won, his prospects might be brighter.
Bloomberg - Perpetual almost ran who has repeatedly let himself get scared off by Hillary. Even worse than a loser.
Biden - If he hadn't been a VP would anyone view him as a viable contender? I doubt it. That being said, in a weak field, he is viable.
Newsome - Based on the past couple elections the path to the presidency no longer runs through governorships. The compromises necessary are lethal with the fringe that is now a key part of primary victories.
I think the Dem race could be dominated by someone high profile, charismatic, vocally anti-Trump and with no or a short track record, but its not clear who that would be. I also think whoever wins is unlikely to beat Trump, though of course a lot can happen between now and 2020.
Biden is too old, which may be enough to upset the Ocasio-Cortez wing of the party. Plus his reputation of being handsy with the females is enough to make #metoo shrink away.
ReplyDeleteI got nothing on Newsom except that the press on him is so glowing, I doubt he can stand up to a stiff breeze.
Not sure who the anti-gay woman is, but I think that's all one needs to know to count her out.
There are rumors, by which I mean published articles, suggesting that some older Democrats are already fixing to primary Ocasio-Cortez, so she may have blown it already.
Zuckerberg is guilty of allowing the Russians to install Trump. That and he's a raging antisemite according to Soros mouthpiece Patrick Gaspard.
I'm with Anthony that a no-name, no-record candidate stands the best shot at emerging from a crowded (and unrigged) field. That said, the idea of the Dems staging their primary to mimic Trump is intriguing enough for me to stand by it for the time being. Dems can't seem to help mimicking Trump every way they can, from constantly rejiggering the MAGA slogan to cringeworthy attempts at bombast to praising themselves as dealmakers.
Just popping in to let Andrew know that his favorite pop star, Ariana Vente, got a Japanese tattoo that translates "charcoal grill."
ReplyDeletetryanmax, I saw that she tried to fix it and only made it worse.
ReplyDeleteOT: This "hate crime" against Jesse Somllet stunk from the get go and is really starting to stink now. I think it's only a matter of time before it comes out that he made the whole thing up.
ReplyDelete1. Chicago is MAGA country? Hardly.
2. Gets hatemail two days before this happens? Odd if this is supposed to be random.
3. They pour bleach on him but don't blind him or hurt him?
4. There is zero video footage showing an attack or people running away.
5. He claims to be on the phone with his agent during the attack and yet they wait 40 minutes to call the cops.
6. He's not really hurt even though two guys supposedly tried to hurt/kill him.
7. He apparently still had the noose around his neck when the cops arrived at his apartment 40 minutes after the attack ended.
All reeks of being staged... poorly.
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteI agree. Activist victim, light injuries, no witnesses and perpetrators that left an very inflammatory calling card. Reminds me of that white female McCain supporter that claimed in 2008 a big black guy caught her alone, beat her and carved a backwards 'B' into her face.
Anthony, This seems to be becoming a thing in the past few years. The one activist in Texas actually hung herself. Others have been caught lying. Most of the waiters who claim they got nasty notes on receipts seems to get caught making it up.
ReplyDeleteI guess being a victim is the new in thing.
On Ariana, you'd think she'd have learned a lesson from the countless stories of Asian character clothing, much less tattoos, gone wrong but her particular age group isn't exactly known for its brilliance, especially when they happen to be celebrities. On Smollett, his story started to reek when the mention of MAGA was absent from the first police report despite initial reports saying it was there only for him to say it happened later. I also saw some posts from people familiar with Chicago's layout that made his story sound suspicious and the part where he asked the cops to turn off their body cams when talking to him isn't helping his case either. If this does turn out to be true then I hope the perps are arrested even though I'll still be annoyed at the left using said idiots to smear everyone they don't like. If this is a hoax then I hope comes back on him good and hard, and same for the others who try this crap.
ReplyDeleteSince we're already off topic, Andrew, I figure this is as good a time as any to throw out a question that's been nagging at me on and off. There was a real dumpster fire on one of the other places I read thoughts and politics at that included a few libertarians in full rage mode about the Religious Right, treating them like they're as big a threat as the SJWs. Surprisingly the focus was on general gay issues rather than things like the New York and Virginia abortion bills or some of the more recent trans-related issues. The question is, how would you estimate their actual influence right now Andrew? Admittedly I might not be able to see it very well from my perspective but it doesn't look like they've got much influence outside of their usual states, whether it's the ones where they're accepted (like most southern states) or where they're a millstone around the GOP's neck (like Colorado and Virginia). The left doesn't seem to be particularly focused on them either. I still agree that they need to go away and the GOP needs to focus on the issues that matter but it looked like the libertarians in question were vastly overestimating their impact at the same time.
In Ariana's defense, it goes both ways: Poorly Translated Asian Shirts
ReplyDeleteOh, and Spartacus is running for president.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about Cory Booker. He jumped in today as the Black Candidate. He's complaining about society putting black kids in caged. Yawn.
ReplyDeleteHarris, apparently, was trying to be the socialized medicine candidate until both Bloomberg and Schulz blasted her for trying to bankrupt the country. She's now backtracked on eliminating private insurance. That's not good to retreat from your key position within a week of announcing.
Ariana is an idiot.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, Right now, things are in flux. The GOP world seems to be divided between anti-Trumps and Trumps and then the other 90% of the party. Right now, there don't seem to be any Religious Right people or Libertarians... just Trumpsters.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the RR remains super influential within the party, and obsesses about abortion. I don't think the Libertarians have much influence within the party, nor are they loyal to the party. If anything, they are anti-GOP.
All told though, the GOP has collapsed as a party right now and it's just a collection of elected officials. Most just want to keep their heads down until Trump is gone. The ones on the fringes though are the same as always. In other words, the obsessives are still obsessed... the crazies are still crazy... the cowards are still cowards. Everyone is just in hiding.
First, tryanmax, great link! The other side of that equation is always good for a laugh. Andrew, that's what I was afraid of. I was hoping on some level that Trump might help the GOP move away from social issues but with him being, well...Trump that was probably too much to hope for. Looks like the race to the bottom between both parties is just going to keep going on and on then.
ReplyDeleteVirginia's late term abortion and blackface loving governor has been the talk of the DC area for the past week or so. He stumbles from one self inflicted PR mauling to the next. Now he is feuding with his lieutenant governor (who would replace him if he resigns). Good times.
ReplyDeleteI've been hearing a bit about Northam myself and he really can't stop stepping in it, can he? Of course now Lt. Governor Fairfax is facing sexual assault allegations so it looks like this dumpster fire is picking up even more heat and stench. Makes me wonder what's going to happen next.
ReplyDeleteHi folks, Sorry not to post anything. I've got a bad case of the flu (or something flu-like). Rough year.
ReplyDeleteFeel better soon Andrew!
ReplyDeleteGet well soon, AP!
ReplyDelete