Starbucks’ Howard Schultz Proposes A Centrist Model Of Governing

The man who taught the world a new way to drink coffee wants to teach the world to trust a middle way to bring America together.

Howard Schultz, the potential independent candidate for president, spoke to a sold out theater of 400 Wednesday night at the Cuyahoga County library in Parma.

His book tour for "From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America" is either a way to promote his presidential ambitions or his presidential ambitions are a way to promote his book.

Many in the theater were Starbucks employees. A large group of students from Cuyahoga Community College met with Schultz earlier and were also there. 

The former Starbucks chairman told a mostly young crowd that the fear and hatred seen on cable TV is not the real America. He wants a new way of governing to bring people together.

He says the two party system is broken and not working.

“And it’s not working because the two parties are so steeped in their own ideology and self-preservation that we can’t get collaboration; we can’t get cooperation; and we certainly can’t get compromise,” Schultz said.

As an example, Schultz cited what he called sensible immigration laws that the last two presidents — Bush and Obama — created but could not get past the opposing party. He said each party was afraid to allow credit to go to the other.

Schultz proposes a centrist approach that calls for higher taxes on billionaires like himself and on corporations.

And he wants companies to be more socially responsible.

“Corporations should be paying higher taxes than the 21 percent that they’re paying now,” he said. “But they should have incentive based on providing education for their employees, training, supporting their community to get their taxes lower.”  

Jim Gargan of Akron outside the Parma Library argues that Schultz could throw the election to Trump. [Mark Urycki / ideastream] 

But would his candidacy just split the change vote and mean four more years for Donald Trump in the White House?

“It’s not true because millions of Republicans, life-long Republicans, are not going to choose a far-left Democrat. They’re going to choose Donald Trump,” Schultz said.    

Unless, says Schultz, they can vote for a centrist independent, like him.

Schultz gets some rock star treatment after his talk. [Mark Urycki / ideastream]