Hold the Lettuce

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is trying to drum up support for a nationwide moratorium on political contributions.

While the message was ostensibly aimed at Washington DC, it should also be taken to heart outside of the beltway, because there's a simple point for the rest of us - we should stop attempting to buy elections. (Although it turns out the "we" in question is a very small group, overall, given that only four one-hundredths of one percent of Americans give more than $200 to candidates.) Given that Schultz normally donates to Democrats, it remains to be seen if Republican donors will see this as an opportunity to step into the void, and try to make the money race work in their favor. History suggests that it will. Honor is nice, but winning is better.

If Schultz somehow manages to significantly lower the amount of money that flows into political campaigns, it could have a transformative effect on American politics. That alone makes it worthwhile.