Thread by @jedshug

@HowardSchultz keeps calling things he doesn’t like “un-American.”
Medicare-for-all? “Not American”
Critics of 3d party candidates? “Un-American.”
Schultz is more and more like Trump each day.
And it is worth our energy to call him out to deter other billionaire spoilers. 1/

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1090433439214551040

2/ There are two ways for Trump to win re-election in 2020:
A. The Democrats could nominate a disaster, and/or
B. Independent candidates could split off a small but crucial slice of the opposition, while Trump keeps his 40-44% base.
I'm now less worried by A, more by B.

3/ In 2016, pundits imagined that Gary Johnson/Bill Weld, former Republican office holders running on the Libertarian ticket, would play spoilers for Trump.
There is no evidence that they hurt Trump, and it's plausible that they were net worse for Clinton.

4/ Of course, @DrJillStein was a saboteur. But my point is mostly that 2016 suggests that Trump will hold the white nationalist/evangelical/own the libs base.
Self-financed independents will hurt the opposition more than Trump, even if they run as moderates or conservatives.

5/ @HowardSchultz has no path to win. But that's not the point. He and others could be spoilers if they're on the ballot. He needs to be called out now so that:
A. He stays off the ballot entirely.
B. Other billionaires see Schultz embarrass himself, and they stay out, too.