By Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images.
Last Sunday, in an interview with The New York Times, former Starbucks C.E.O. Howard Schultz announced he was strongly considering running for president on an independent ticket, having “already begun the groundwork required to be on the ballot in all 50 states.” Unsurprisingly, the backlash to the news came fast and furiously, with everyone from fellow billionaire Mike Bloomberg to various pundits to a heckler at a Barnes & Noble telling him in no uncertain terms that such a run would be a horrible idea and would almost certainly give Donald Trump a second term. (The heckler’s exact words: “You’ll help elect Trump, you billionaire, egotistical asshole.”) One person who was surprised by the deafening response? Schultz himself, who may want to invest in better (or at least more honest) consultants.
Fox Business’s Charlie Gasparino and Lydia Moynihan report that the man who made Pumpkin Spice Lattes a thing was “shocked by the stridency of the attacks made by Democrats” and is now said to be “looking more closely at whether he wants to go through with the effort.” While Schultz reportedly “expected some carping,” he somehow didn’t anticipate the “intense nature of the criticism.”
Despite having hired veteran political operative Steve Schmidt as an adviser, the billionaire was apparently unprepared for the sheer panic his announcement would inspire in those who would rather avoid another four years of an unpredictable maniac in the White House. One person with knowledge of Schultz’s reaction told Fox Business the coffee mogul is “freaking out” about the criticism which, again, he somehow did not anticipate was (rightfully!) coming.
Now, like a Starbucks-goer feeling the effects of a Unicorn Frappuccino on her gastrointestinal system, Schultz is apparently re-evaluating things:
What people who have spoken with Schultz agree on is that he is now re-adjusting his message about the likelihood of an independent presidential campaign.
On the other hand, he might still go through with it!
. . . a senior advisor to Schultz told Fox Business on Thursday that Schultz’s decision is far from final—and he won’t make up his mind until at least the summer. This person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Schultz is weighing several factors including how people outside the “Washington to New York Amtrak corridor” react to his ideas during events as he sells his new book, From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America. Schultz’s memoir describes his working-class upbringing, business career, and the philosophy that underpins his beef with the political extremes he believes control both parties to the detriment of the country and may prod him to run for president.
Schmidt, who was hopefully paid upfront, did not return Fox Business’s requests for comment.
This story was originally published by Vanity Fair
via USAHint.com
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