Starbucks CEO Town Hall: Can’t we all just get along?
posted at 1:30 pm on September 3, 2011 by Jazz Shaw
Howard Schultz, CEO of coffee giant Starbucks, has apparently decided to wake up America in a new way, and this one doesn’t involve caffeine. While they are already the premier sponsor of Joe Scarborough’s daily show on MSNBC, Schultz is planning on a national telephone town hall this week. The theme? We all need to Put Country Ahead of Party. Oh… wait. No. That’s Obama’s thing. Schultz wants us all to Put Citizenship Ahead of Partisanship.
Well, that’s certainly something different I guess.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz changed how America drinks coffee. Now, he wants to change the political system.
The leader of the world’s largest coffee company said U.S. political leaders have created a “crisis of confidence” with their political wrangling that is wreaking havoc on the economy.
He said he wants to give a voice to all citizens by hosting a national telephone forum on Tuesday.
He’s also running ads in the New York Times and USA TODAY ahead of the event, featuring an open letter that urges Americans to participate in the forum and insist politicians end their hyper-partisan behavior.
“We must send the message to today’s elected officials … that the time to put citizenship ahead of partisanship is now,” Schultz said in the letter.
You know, something sounds really familiar about this. But I just can’t put my finger on where I’ve heard it before. Maybe if we find out who is partnering with Schultz on this project. (Emphasis mine.)
The forum will be hosted by nonpartisan group No Labels and held the same week as the GOP presidential debate and the president’s address to a joint session of Congress to share his plan for job creation.
“America is at a fragile and critical moment in its history,” Schultz said in his letter. “We must restore hope in the American Dream.”
Ah… it’s all coming clear now. Thanks, Howard!
The impact from Schultz’s efforts may not zero out to nil, though. He’s been calling for all CEOs to stop making contributions to any and all political campaigns until the “political wrangling” has stopped. Starbucks is certainly active in politics already, having donated $85,841to the two parties. (And just to show they are bipartisan, only $85,276 of that went to the Democrats.) But Howard seems to be getting some traction, having apparently gotten more than 100 other business executives “from AOL to Zipcar” to go along with the plan.
If we get the dial-in information for the call we’ll be sure to pass it along here. I know you’ll all want to stop by and contribute your suggestions on how to make these nasty politicians behave in a more civil fashion.
Blowback
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shut up and
singmake coffeecmsinaz on September 3, 2011 at 1:33 PM
Yup. Be bi partisan, says the partisan coffee making man.
You can take your latte’s and frappes and stick em you know where. I don’t buy your over priced crap anyway. If Michelle is touting health, why do you still have a company?
capejasmine on September 3, 2011 at 1:37 PM
I got the email too, and he lost me at No Labels.
The espresso is good, the pastries are inedible. Fix that, Howard, and I’ll consider trusting my political future to you.
PattyJ on September 3, 2011 at 1:39 PM
I’m with you, Ed! You go first.
:D
whatcat on September 3, 2011 at 1:39 PM
Nice PR move Schultz. Antagonize half of Starbucks’ customers for what? To capitalize on the Coffee Party fever that’s attracting followers none deep?
I agree with cmsinaz. Just shut up and keep making your $5 cups of coffee.
Cicero43 on September 3, 2011 at 1:40 PM
No labels. Because every time the leftest use a label it has turned to excrement.
Slowburn on September 3, 2011 at 1:41 PM
Good luck Howard with getting politicans to ‘behave in a more civil fashion’! The d’s are really really nasty with their krappy going after r’s in an un-civli manner!
L
letget on September 3, 2011 at 1:43 PM
Translation: Back down and shut up, Republicans.
Cicero43 on September 3, 2011 at 1:46 PM
If you read the wikipedia article on Starbucks, Mr. Schultz is considered by some to be an ardent Zionist.
That said, since Mr. Schultz wants to get along, how about he advocate for a law which requires his company to offer every customer a trenta for the price of a vente, or a vente for the price of a grande. After all, isn’t that what Obamacare, in essence, does?
unclesmrgol on September 3, 2011 at 1:46 PM
Coffee Party.
BDavis on September 3, 2011 at 1:47 PM
exactamundo
cmsinaz on September 3, 2011 at 1:48 PM
“We must send the message to today’s elected officials … that the time to put citizenship ahead of partisanship is now,” Schultz said in the letter.
I.e. STOP SPENDING
disa on September 3, 2011 at 1:52 PM
Hes calling on CEO’s to not make contributions?
I think I can get behind that, if he manages to get like minded CEO’s to cancel contributions, then thats 85,276 less for Dems, to the 565 to R’s. Good show, that will teach those recalcitrant Republicans.
Koa on September 3, 2011 at 2:01 PM
And what would Schultz be saying if Starbucks had just reported a BAD quarter? It’s easy for him to say companies should hire when his company needs to hire. Wonder why he fired so many people a couple of years ago? Oh, that’s right. Because the purpose of business is to make a profit, not to hire people.
huckleberryfriend on September 3, 2011 at 2:07 PM
This hack is upset because his turd is going down…the sewer, where he belongs. He’s not the president of ALL the people, he’s a petulant Campaigner in Chief, and losing it on the latter too. People simply don’t care that he says anything, or what he says.
—————-
On “civility” – nothing big in the world has ever been solved by singing kumbaya, together.
When all agree, at least one is not thinking. Too lazy to look up who said it.
Schadenfreude on September 3, 2011 at 2:11 PM
Let’s make it a real Seattle feel-good thing, and combine the Starbucks Kumbayah-fest with a hacky-sack tournament (in which everyone wins and no one loses, of course!), drum circles and all sorts of speakers exhorting Empowerment and — thanks, “Captain Ed” and Tina — celebrating our Personhoods!
After, we can all celebrate the re-election of Osama Obama, the SCoaMF, and walk home to contemplate how we’re going to make it through to the next unemployment check.
MrScribbler on September 3, 2011 at 2:11 PM
Starbucks and a Left leaning agenda. No kidding…
Sharr on September 3, 2011 at 2:18 PM
Why does this not ever come up when a Republican is in the White House?
Sharr on September 3, 2011 at 2:20 PM
Donates 99% to one party, wants bipartisanship.
He’s been Buffeted.
65droptop on September 3, 2011 at 2:22 PM
We should engourage this group of liberal democrat CEOs to stop contributing campaign money. The fewer of them that contribute the better! Lets get behind them!
paulsur on September 3, 2011 at 2:25 PM
Caffeinate we much?
Jazz Shaw on September 3, 2011 at 2:27 PM
LMAO!
Tim_CA on September 3, 2011 at 2:27 PM
LMAO. Thank you for digging out more info on this. I got that email and was all “WTH? Is he high?”
BrideOfRove on September 3, 2011 at 2:35 PM
“I think No Labels, Starbucks and the Democrat Party should go straight to hell.”
Was that civil enough?
Stephen Macklin on September 3, 2011 at 2:39 PM
Remember that failed answer to the ‘oh so contentious’ Tea Party, the lame and supposedly super civil Coffee Party?
Same deal with a new sponsor. Imagine that, a Starbucks coffee exec.
It’s all the same, only repackaged, reimagined for a new, hipper audience.
I will make the apolitical, I hope, Dunkin’ Donuts my new coffee destination.
marybel on September 3, 2011 at 2:40 PM
When the left is going strong, like in 2008 – “hooray the rethuglicans are going to be a regional party with no national power, lets kick them in the nuts!”
When the left is losing elections big time, like in 2010 and especially this coming 2012 – “we need to be all bipartisan and nicy-nice to each other, minority party has rights too!”
Funny how that works. I say – lets not make it work, let’s treat the left like they treat conservatives when they’re on top.
Let’s kick them square in the nuts.
Rebar on September 3, 2011 at 2:41 PM
No partisan behavior…then there would be no need for more than one party.
chewydog on September 3, 2011 at 2:51 PM
This is good news.
When lefties call for bipartisanship, it means that they are losing.
reaganaut on September 3, 2011 at 3:00 PM
It’s only hyper-partisan when Democrats don’t get their way.
ConstantSorrow on September 3, 2011 at 3:01 PM
STarbucks…rotten coffee at rotten prices.
Limerick on September 3, 2011 at 3:07 PM
I can’t stand Starbucks anyhow. Coffee’s always bitter and over-priced. It’s no hardship at all to pass ‘em by.
That said… pick a side Schultz. Either stand with the socialists you’ve been donating your money to or stand for liberty. There’s no middle ground to be had when one considers the essence of political division to be about whether this country still believes in the freedom of the individual citizen or not.
Murf76 on September 3, 2011 at 3:08 PM
Kumbaya, MF. Kumbaya.
petefrt on September 3, 2011 at 3:17 PM
Two words… Tim Hortons.
Caper29 on September 3, 2011 at 3:18 PM
Where was Howard about 18 months ago around the time of Obamacare? Why wasn’t he outraged that politicians were ignoring the will of the people then? Oh that’s right. Obama was getting his way then.
Shut up and brew.
angryed on September 3, 2011 at 3:24 PM
Yeah, that kind of statement always means that the GOP should agree with the Democrats and Obama and rubber stamp their agenda. Always.
Here’s a message for you Mr. Schultz:
Partisanship is good.
Partisanship is right.
Partisanship works.
SlaveDog on September 3, 2011 at 3:27 PM
/ Yes. Let’s listen to this guy.
It’s actually kind of scary. My brother (a conservative) forwarded me the email with the subject entitled: “Go Howard!!!” I had to break the news to him that Schultz is a shill for the dems. They’ll do anything to make the R’s look like obstructionists. Funny how we never heard this bi-partisan crap when they were ramming Obamacare down everyone’s throat.
ReaganWasRight on September 3, 2011 at 3:36 PM
If you are going to be partisan Schultz, at least be honest about it. Being a disingenuous hack and alienating conservative customers anyway is no way to conduct yourself as a CEO. Best to just shut up.
forest on September 3, 2011 at 3:36 PM
I wonder what Starbucks do if the EPA shut them down because coffee beans became contraband?
Speakup on September 3, 2011 at 4:13 PM
Remember when Starbucks got that Obamacare waiver? Yeah that one.
elowe on September 3, 2011 at 4:41 PM
Start selling fresher coffee by the bag and I may listen.
AshleyTKing on September 3, 2011 at 4:54 PM
Yep. When little Bammie didn’t need any votes from the other side he stuck his nose in the air and taunted Republicans saying “I won”.
slickwillie2001 on September 3, 2011 at 5:07 PM
Ayn Rand- When you mix a little poison (communism) with your food (freedom), poison always wins.
We will not shut up.
gdonovan on September 3, 2011 at 5:20 PM
Let’s all run down to Starbucks right before the Prez’s speech Thursday (it is still Thursday isn’t it?), order a bunch of ‘large coffees’ to go… and halfway though them making up the order walk away.
-
Think he’ll get the message?
-
RalphyBoy on September 3, 2011 at 6:13 PM
These libs think their ideas for “getting along” are all so unique. It’s all just the same bs.
Yeah… why can’t we all just get along. I want Starbucks coffee delivered to my doorstep free of charge every morning. With one of those fancy egg muffin things they have. I want it sitting on a solid .999% gold platter with a dish of strawberries too.
I want that all free! And if they don’t give it, maybe I should call Maxine Walter’s and ask her to call some union thugs and surround your house. So lets just get along, ok, and give me what I want! Now!
Well, I could agree to a compromise.. you can keep the coffee. Just give me all the other stuff. See? I’ve compromised. This was easy. Lets all get along. Now, or else. So lets stop all this bickering and come together and give me what I want… or for God’s sake, at least agree to my compromise.
JellyToast on September 3, 2011 at 8:47 PM
I emailed Howard to let him know that I am now spending 99.342% of my retail coffee budget at Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonalds.
Just curious — what is it about liberal/Democrat politics that the CEO of a coffee business sees as 99.342% more beneficial to his business than fiscal conservatism? I find that remarkable.
Jaibones on September 3, 2011 at 9:50 PM
Starbucks makes a ton of money on idiots paying 5 – 10 dollars for flavored water…….I am not surprised the CEO thinks everyone in this country is a fool.
David in ATL on September 3, 2011 at 11:00 PM
I prefer Sam’s or Winn-Dixie brand instant anyway.
Dr. ZhivBlago on September 3, 2011 at 11:05 PM
#1 – Schultz is a securlar Jew. He is Dem to the bone.
#2 – He lives in the Seattle area . . . actually Medina where the very, very rich live.
#3 – He actually is very smart. The Starbuck story is very interesting. I remember going to that funny coffee shop down by Pike’s Market in the 1970s. It is amazing how far that little shop has grown.
#4 – He does treat his employees very well. They actually have fought the unions attempt to unionize. Didn’t work.
Voter from WA State on September 3, 2011 at 11:48 PM
Oh, and I do prefer Starbucks to just about any other coffee since I had to work in Europe. My folks think I drink my coffee too strong. I say their coffee is like colored water.
Long live the coffee wars!
Voter from WA State on September 3, 2011 at 11:50 PM
DD for me….Schultz can do/say whatever he wants, it still is America.
Pigment…..go figure?
dmann on September 4, 2011 at 12:38 AM
long before starbucks changed the way people mainly in the suburbs (who would normally go to dunkin donuts) buy product and coffee tchotchkes( and apparently themed adult contemporary music cds) there were plenty of boutique coffee and tea houses- hippies loved hanging in them doing the folk musics, changing the world. starbucks managed to rid us of all these local shops, including ethnic mom and pop ventures, that had been providing niche coffee for generations.
the coffee at the coffee connection( george howell, an expert and innovator in coffee bean processing) in cambridge was much better than star$ucks who bought them out. starbucks processing and overly hot water destroys the flavor of the beans. having had coffee connection i never got what people loved about overpriced burnt dandy swill. i drink really strong coffee but opt for DDs over starbucks any day. god i miss the coffee connection.
at least the ceo of that other hipster/emo/Goreian cult, Whole Foods Market, had the ‘nads to come out against the insanity and fiscal disaster of obamacare-and at the height of it being rammed through congress- with facts and sense instead of with a case of the shilling faux vapors.
admit it- your false idol sucks and electing him was an economic and personal liberties disaster. but liberals can never admit when they have been wrong- they are shameless in this.
mittens on September 4, 2011 at 1:28 AM
The simple truth hiding behind the big lie is…
Partisanship IS citizenship. To have a set of beliefs about how government ought to behave, and to fight for those beliefs in spirited adversarial debate, is exactly the method which the founding fathers designed. They fought some of the harshest intellectual battles known to history over the establishment of this nation, and they succeeded, not by convincing each other to play nice, but by being willing to discern the best possible outcome from the options presented.
That has been lost, and in its place, lies and misinformation disguised as truth, and supported by the media, that balancing Fourth Estate which was expected to bring honestly acquired facts to the man on the street, but which has these last three decades betrayed the public trust.
Freelancer on September 4, 2011 at 2:07 AM
I guarantee the CEOs who would take this crap seriously donate to the dems and republicans along the same percentage rate as starbucks. That means that the whole thing is bs because they will not stop donating to the left out of fear, ideology or stupidity (and it is mind boggling that guys who can rise to this level can act so stupidly but that’s mental illness for ya). If anyone among the tea party has the time while our economy continues to fall apart, everyone on the list should be followed closely and when they break thier vows and give to demofascists the tea party should call for boycotts. In the least a good advertising campaign to try to enlighten the dimwits to the fact that an overwhelming majority of the “super rich” actually support the fascism pushed by the democrat party. They have thiers so the rest of us should be good sheep and behave.
peacenprosperity on September 4, 2011 at 9:07 AM
Does anyone else think that Starbucks coffee sucks?? It always taste burnt to me and I don’t think I’ve had more than two cups of the dreadful stuff since they began….gawk!
E9RET on September 4, 2011 at 11:16 AM
Sorry, I can’t drink this sh!t, Howard. Can’t listen to it either.
Yes, E9RET, fully agree with you. Not only burnt, but stale as well, and made from cheap sh!t beans. Roast your own and learn to enjoy coffee again.
SJBill on September 4, 2011 at 11:33 AM
Gee, I hope the names of these “crony capitalists” are released so I can see if I give money to any of them. Not going to happen again when I find out.
chickasaw42 on September 4, 2011 at 5:12 PM
I’m a fan of Dunkin’ Donuts myself; I like their story. I’m in marketing, and I like their story over Starbucks. They like the fact that you’re liable to see a pickup truck parked right next to a Lexus at their stores. They appeal to the every-person, not just to “Starbucks” people.
They’re coffee is quite good too. Their big thing is they never leave a pot of coffee longer than 18 minutes on the burner; after that they throw away the pot.
itsspideyman on September 5, 2011 at 4:35 PM