Let Howard Shultz run.

[hot2na]

The conventional wisdom says that he will siphon off democratic votes. My gut tells me he will siphon off more Republican votes than Democrats, maybe much more. Let's say Shultz makes a run and gets 5% of the vote but it gives enough Republican voters an alternative. Say that it breaks down that 5% breaks for Shultz in favor of Republicans by 55% to 45%. Thats significant.

I'm not saying not to attack him. He would actually be good for Democrats because his candidacy provides a clear disconnect for the new progressive posture of the Democratic party, from the politics of the 80s and 90s that the voters are so tired of and ready to dump.

Heck the likes of Hugh Hewitt are gushing over Shultz. They are making a mistake. A Shultz candidacy will be against the Democratic party. He will not be able to separate himself from Republican policy and Trump himself. Let him run but continue to bash the shit out of him for sure.

[link:https://www.mediamatters.org/video/2019/01/28/hugh-hewitt-and-salena-zito-gush-over-former-starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-considering-independent/222667|

[Roland99]

1. Hugh gushing is a huge red flag. Of course he wants Howard to run. Siphon Dem votes

[doompatrol39]

2. I'm less concerned about the votes he siphons off...

But more that it pushes the media narrative that "SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THE DEFICITS AND ENTITLEMENTS!!!!!" and that this will push our candidate (depending on who it is), to the right on this issue.

I'm hopeful that the social security expansion bill talked about today is a sign that Dems are learning and won't fall for it and are getting out in front of this.

But history still makes me worry.

[hot2na]

7. Let him push it.

The optics of another bumbling billionaire running against the Democrats will be too heavy a lift for the media to massage that message in todays political environment. The days of the influence of the likes of David Brooks, and David Gregory David Broder are gone. Chuck Todd will try to run with the meme but he is no longer taken seriously.

[doompatrol39]

9. You have to admit....

...that until recently, Democrats had a tendency to be more concerned with what the likes of Brooks/Gregory/Broder/Russert thought then what polling said actual voters thought.

I"m happy to say that seems to be changing but it hasn't been so long that I"m not skittish about it.

[JaneQPublic]

3. Schultz has the right to run. We have the right to speak out against it. (nt)

[Turbineguy]

4. Schultz gives trump voters an option.

He's Trump, but without the low-brow sex.

[hot2na]

5. Schultz gives trump voters an option.

He is going to draw low information voters who will vote for him for owning the Libs.

[question everything]

6. Depends who is our candidate..

[mercuryblues]

8. I'm not worried about him getting Democratic voters

He has his republican talking points down pat, along with bashing the Dems.

He has said that AOC and Warren's ideas were un-American. His focus on the deficit is nothing more than code to dismantle Social security, Welfare, Medicaid and so on. The only votes he will split are republicans who lap that shit up.

There's nothing like a billionaire whining that his taxes are too high when people are living from paycheck to paycheck