Could Starbucks's Howard Schultz Beat Donald Trump?
*By Britt Terrell*
Howard Schultz's philanthropic efforts and commitment to liberal causes may make him an appealing Democratic candidate. But Schultz, the outgoing executive chairman of Starbucks, could have a difficult time with some liberals if he decides to run for office.
"I wonder if the left wing of the Democratic Party would be receptive to somebody who has CEO at the top of their resume," said Eric Boehm, a reporter at Reason.com. "I think Schultz will face some push-back from that."
In an [interview Tuesday with CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/05/howard-schultz-rips-democrats-for-veering-too-far-left.html), Schultz may have invited push-back when he said some Democrats have unrealistic expectations of what government can do.
"It concerns me that so many voices within the Democratic Party are going so far to the left. I say to myself, 'How are we going to pay for these things?'" Schultz said in reference to popular liberal proposals like single-payer healthcare and government-supported full employment efforts. "I don't think that's something realistic," he added.
Schultz, who announced on Monday he would step away from Starbucks, the company he ran as chief executive or chairman for about 30 years, said he is considering a number of options for his future. Public service is one of them, but even he acknowledged in his CNBC interview that his corporate background could complicate a run for office.
Still, with another businessman occupying the White House, it's difficult to dismiss the potential positives of Schultz's experience in a matchup with Donald Trump. And Schultz's history of incorporating liberal issues as part of Starbucks' public image may be appealing to many mainstream Democrats and centrist voters.
"He knows that companies have to make money and he has done that in a way while still having liberal values," said Ed Carson, a news writer at Investor's Business Daily in an interview with Cheddar. "And I think that would be an effective combination both in the Democratic primary and in the general election."
Boehm also cited Schultz's business pedigree and his experience managing a business from start-up to multinational success as a counter narrative to President Donald Trump's own story as successful businessman.
"He could put his resume, taking a small coffee chain from Seattle and turning it into a globe-dominating brand, he could put that right up against Donald Trump's supposed resume, which includes numerous bankruptcies and business failures," Boehm said, adding that Schultz could make the case to the voters: "Hey, if you want a business man in the White House, maybe it should be me."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/howard-schultz-2020).
Terrell Jermaine Starr, senior fellow with the Atlantic Council and host of the Black Diplomats podcast joins Cheddar News to discuss Russia's attempt to invade Ukraine.
With an increasing number of teachers and staff calling out sick by the day, the state of Oklahoma is turning to an unusual solution. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt has issued an executive order that permits state employees to work as substitute teachers. Shaily Baranwal, founder and CEO of Elevate K-12, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the stance of the U.S. and its allies should Russia make any forays into Ukraine, a seeming response to President Biden's remarks that should Putin engage in something short of a full invasion, there might be some indecision among allied nations regarding what to do. Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the think tank Atlantic Council, joined Cheddar to discuss the difficulty faced by Blinken wrangling unity as tensions run high in the region. "There'll be a smaller incursion, and the president implied, there'll be a weaker response because our European allies have created this horrible situation where they are dependent on Moscow for their gas supply," Cohen explained.
During a nearly two-hour press conference on Wednesday, President Biden spoke on his accomplishments and challenges from the first year of his presidency, and what his administration hopes to accomplish in the coming year. However, his approval ratings are underwater as COVID remains a big concern for voters — as does inflation, noted Tom Bevan, co-founder and president of polling aggregator RealClearPolitics. "The public thinks [inflation] is priority number one, and the administration is concerned about it, they talk about it, but they're not spending enough time on it as far as the public is concerned," said Bevan.
The drama surrounding tennis star Novak Djokovic continues after he was deported from Australia over the weekend due to the nation's COVID-19 vaccine requirements. Djokovic was forced to leave the country on the eve of what was to be his first match in defense of his Australian Open title after three judges ruled in favor of his removal and revealed their reasoning for doing so. Adding to his woes, a law recently passed in France is putting his chances of defending his French Open title in jeopardy. The director of Marist's Center for Sports Communication, Jane McManus, joined Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fallout.
As the midterm elections get ever closer, candidates have been getting creative with their campaigns to stick out and to connect with voters. Gary Chambers, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, has definitely attracted attention with an advertisement featuring him smoking a blunt, making a point about the inequity of anti-cannabis laws. "We wanted to bring the seriousness of the moment," he said of the ad. "But we also wanted to make sure that people understand that there are 19 states that are legal right now but Black people and brown people are being over-incarcerated in mostly Southern and Midwestern states in America for cannabis possession."
If some members of Congress have their way, there might finally be a 'TLDR' on sites' terms of service, introduced by the terms-of-service labeling, design, and readability act – or TLDR for short. With this act, users will actually understand what they're agreeing to or the many ways in which their data is being used before pressing 'accept.' J.D. sat down with co-sponsor of the bill and Senator Bill Cassidy, to discuss.
President Joe Biden's first year in office is wrapping up. What has he achieved, and what else remains on the table while the Democrats have control of Washington? Amid an ongoing pandemic and rising inflation, Biden's approval rating is at an all-time low and his party is plagued by infighting. Will he be able to continue pushing key parts of his agenda? Paul Glastris, former Bill Clinton speechwriter & Editor-in-chief of 'Washington Monthly,' joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the president's achievements in his first year, where he's fallen short, and what he must do in order to get more of his agenda signed into law.
Tech giants Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, and Apple are faced with a bipartisan antitrust legislation effort underway in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The companies stand accused of promoting their own goods and services over smaller competitors on their platforms, holding too much monopolistic power via their app stores and services. Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of Chamber of Progress, a technology industry trade group, joined Cheddar to argue that the bills that are being debated currently could end up hurting consumers, rather than helping.
