Starbucks CEO: Embrace 'respect & dignity' during 'unseemly election'

Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, a “life-long Democrat”, and a supporter of Hillary Clinton, has implored employees to embrace “respect & dignity” during this “epic, unseemly [US] election” in a letter obtained by CNNMoney.

The letter does not attempt to sway the voting preferences of the workforce, it merely highlights how Schultz is feeling about the election – “a bit anxious” – and asks workers to share “kindness, compassion, [and] empathy.”

The letter continues: “Let's each embrace the universal virtues of respect and dignity, refusing to allow the hatred on cable news, the ugliness of our politics, and the lack of political role models for our kids to define us and to dictate how we treat each other.”

Schultz himself has not ruled out running for office himself, telling CNN: “Never say never, but this is not the right time."