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Source: CNN
Roundup
1/29/19

Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer: Howard Schultz could re-elect Donald Trump

by Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer

Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer are history professors at Princeton University and the authors of the new book "Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974." 

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is thinking about running for president on an independent ticket. Even though he has been a lifelong Democrat, Schultz now insists that the party has become too radical. During an interview with "60 Minutes," he said he is considering running a campaign as a "centrist independent, outside of the two-party system."

Although the announcement conjures instant jokes about a campaign promising a "vanilla latte in every cup," this potential run could have serious consequences for the future of the nation. By entering the race, Schultz could emerge as a savior that the struggling President Donald Trump and the GOP have been desperately waiting for. Drawing on his own personal fortune, he will have the resources to mount a serious campaign and to blast his message over the airwaves and on your cell phone.

And he could easily pose a serious problem to a Democratic candidate seeking to secure every vote possible in the crucial purple states.

The odds of Schultz winning the presidency are incredibly long. In our strong two-party system, third-party candidates don't really have a chance, especially now that our politics are more polarized than ever.

Read entire article at CNN