Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO, is making serious moves towards running for president.
And as a “centrist independent” candidate to be exact.
Schultz has been taking to the media to reveal his strong consideration in regards to running for president.
What is his number one concern?
The deficit — which he believes is too big.
He also believes both parties too be “too extreme.”
Schultz touts how he would have cut taxes but not for corporations.
When Schultz’s was asked about specifics in regards to the tax policy – he shared:
“I don’t want to talk in the hypothetical about what I would do as president.”
And while Schultz does want to reduce the deficit, it would not be through taxing the wealthy as well as corporations.
Schultz also wants to cut entitlement spending and also believes that medicare and a jobs guarantee just aren’t realistic.
Howard Schultz has been able to take a small, retail chain of coffee stores and transform them into over 28,000 stores in 77 countries — and despite stepping down as executive chairmen and member of the company’s board on June 26 of last year — he is still today, one of America’s most widely recognized CEOs.
Schultz has used his voice on civic issues like immigration, LGBTQ issues as well as gun control — leading many to believe he will follow through with running for political office.
Schultz acknowledged in an interview with the New York Times how he would consider public service.
And when he was asked specifically if he was planning to run for president, he originally shared a few months back:
“I intend to think about a range of options, and that could include public service. But I’m a long way from making any decisions about the future.”
Schultz’s friend, David Geffen, has been encouraging Schultz to run since 2008.
Schultz has instead used the past few years to grow his philanthropic efforts through Starbucks as well as his family foundation — one that helps veterans, employs young people and helps assist the homeless in Washington state.
Additionally, he has helped co-produce a documentary series at Starbucks about inspiring Americans who donate their time in acts of citizenship as well as civility.
In Washington this past summer at an Atlantic Council event, Schultz shared themes that would fit into a 2020 presidential campaign which included a warning against isolationism as well as nationalism.
“This is not a time to build walls. This is a time to build bridges,” he said. “We have an awesome responsibility not to be desensitized by the time we are living in, not to accept the status quo of a lack of dignity and a lack of respect, but to rise above it and to do all we can.”
Folks seem to be on the fence about Schultz’s run but I have to ask…would it really be that bad?
Maybe every home gets a pound of free coffee a week?
Or maybe, bridges will be built instead of walls.
I would stick around to see that happen.
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