Thread by @paulwaldman1

1. Howard Schultz's interview on NPR this morning revealed his candidacy to be, incredibly, even dumber than what it seemed so far.

Let's explore...

npr.org/2019/01/28/689…

2. Schultz touts his work creating a good corporate citizen in Starbucks as what he'd bring to the presidency. Inskeep asks if he'd change laws or SEC regulations to diminish primacy of share price as a value for corporations. Schultz answers...

3. "I don't think I would be changing laws, but what I would try and do is influence public CEOs to understand that we have a moral obligation...to do more for our employees and the communities we serve." Oh, you'll "influence" them? By doing what? Making some speeches?

4. Pressed on that, Schultz says, "A company has to perform. But you don't have to perform at the expense of your people." Great. But what would you do AS PRESIDENT to make that happen? He seems not even to have thought about it.

5. He says the national debt is a crushing problem. How do you solve it, he's asked. "We are in dire need of comprehensive tax reform. Which would include a significant level of infrastructure development."
[face palm]
Infrastructure is not taxes.

6. Would the wealthy have to pay more in his reform? "What I would say is that we need comprehensive tax reform. Because I think there are a number of areas here that need to be addressed." In other words, he has no idea what he wants to do.

7. But he does think Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax is a horrific idea. "We can't just attack these things in a punitive way by punishing people." Ah yes, we must not punish the noble job creators by taxing them too much. Onward...

8. Inskeep notes that if he cares so much about the deficit, now headed toward $1 trillion, he'll have to make tough choices. Cuts to popular programs, tax increases? "You haven't talked about growth," Schultz says.

9. How will Schultz create fantastic growth? "I've been an entrepreneur for the last 40 years. I view things a little bit differently than certainly a traditional politician. And I have a 30 year plus record of being able to solve complex problems in unique ways." Oh.

10. So to sum up, Schultz plainly has no idea how government works, and doesn't demonstrate any interest in finding out, but he does think that because he was successful in business he'd naturally be successful running the government. Sounds like somebody else I can think of.