BTRTN: Boycott Starbucks.

[reggieandlee]

Born To Run the Numbers has a simple solution to make sure that Howard Shultz's ego-trip never progresses far enough that he will actually siphon off Democratic votes and thereby increase the chances that Donald Trump will be re-elected:

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2019/01/btrtn-boycott-starbucks.html

Excerpts: "Shultz, free to spend billions of dollars of his own money on this venti-sized ego wank, could easily percolate three percentage points off a Joe Biden in Pennsylvania. He could cold-brew several thousand votes away from an Amy Klobuchar in Wisconsin. He could pry a few thousand baristos away from voting for Kamala Harris in Michigan. Howard Schultz could win just enough votes to re-elect Donald Trump President of the United States. Do not dismiss this heinous possibility. Ralph Nader...pulled just enough votes away from Al Gore in Florida to elect George Bush President. I hope that Ralph Nader goes to sleep each night thinking about how many Iraqi children died because of his pathetic need to masterbate in public...
"And here is what really roasts my beans, you pompous pumpkin-spice poser, you know damn well that you don’t have a chance of winning the Presidency on an independent ticket. You know that you are just making a grab for fame and glory without the slightest risk that you would actually have to do the job. This is just a self-indulgent lark to elevate your personal brand, which happens to be the exact same rationale used by the dimwit who is currently in the White House...
"When we see rich guys helping Donald Trump, we are inclined to grind up them up finer than a pound of Tanzanian Peaberry. We’ll start by giving up coffee. Starbucks Coffee, specifically. No more vente, soy, non-fat, no foam, half-sweet macchiatos with caramel drizzle for this guy...
"And, oh, by the way, cancel the orders from my sixty million Democratic friends, too."

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. What effect would that have? He isn't the CEO of Starbucks any more

and is already rich enough that he doesn't need people to buy coffee.

[ginnyinWI]

2. mostly symbolic, I suppose.

It is a way to "vote" and give him the idea of how people feel. I already don't go there so no diff to me.

[FSogol]

3. I think the entire "boycott starbucks" idea is coming from The Caryle Group, the owners of Dunkins.

Bain Capital is also part owner.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. Their competitors are Coffee Bean

Dunkin Donuts' is downscale.

[FSogol]

10. Not around here. Never heard of Coffee Bean. n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. Almost all his wealth derives from his 38 million shares of Starbucks

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211744541#post7

[LongtimeAZDem]

4. How would hurting working people's income influence a billionare?

[tritsofme]

5. Hasn't Shultz severed ties with Starbucks?

I’m not sure I understand what purpose this boycott is supposed to serve

[reggieandlee]

6. You bet Shultz would notice... and he would care.

The business he founded is undoubtedly intimately intertwined with his ego, identity, and no doubt many friendships and relationships. If it were to be seriously damaged because of his ego trip, he would get the message.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. He is still Chairman Emeritus and owns 38 million shares.

Starbucks is trading at $65.00 a share. You can do the math.

[reggieandlee]

11. Thank you!!

You make a very compelling point!!

[reggieandlee]

12. The purpose this boycott would serve...

Yes, Shultz is no longer CEO of Starbucks. He is Chairman Emeritus, and he owns 38 million shares of stock, which is each valued at $65.00. As founder and long-term CEO, he is deeply identified with Starbucks, defines himself and his personal brand identity from his role there, and he most certainly has countless business and personal relationships with people who are still at the company.
In short, at many, many levels, he would not want that company to suffer a major business reversal.

The issue here is that Howard Shultz wants to use his leverage -- the billions of dollars that he made at Starbucks -- to have a huge impact on the political future of our nation. He, in embarking on this third party candidacy, could hand the 2020 election to Donald Trump. In this boycott, Americans would use their leverage as citizens -- their ability to severely affect Shultz's legacy, his fortune, and the company he founded -- in order to stop him from what could be a politically catastrophic impact on our electoral process.

If Shultz gets his way, 300,000,000 Americans may have Donald Trump as their president for four more years. If citizens boycott Starbucks and get their way, 238,000 Starbucks employees and the company's shareholders go through a short-term reversal, but the country is saved from a crushing and self-defeated division of the progressive vote.

The sad reality in our current state of democracy is that the amount of money you have seems to be more important than the amount of supporters you have. So the purpose of the boycott is simple: citizens should use the collective leverage of their money to dissuade Shultz from using his money to circumvent the two party system. If Shultz has no problem using his Starbucks money to impose his views on us, then we should have no problem using our Starbucks money to impose our opinion on him.

[Raine]

13. Doing that will hurt the people that work there. nt