In a sign of the times for the Democratic Party, a celebrity sports personality is garnering attention as a possible candidate for leader of the Free World in 2028. Seriously. As Democrats suffer their lowest approval in decades, the flamboyantly outspoken Stephen A. Smith of ESPN is attracting widespread coverage as an outside-the-box alternative for a party desperate to regain its footing.
What does serious talk about a sports celebrity as a presidential candidate say about the state of the Democratic Party? Is there not a single elected Democrat thought to be attractive enough to take on Vice President JD Vance or another Republican in three years? Are Democrats’ policies so unappealing that they need to nominate a personality with zero experience in policy or politics as a blank canvas upon which they can attempt to paint a pretty picture?
Who Is Stephen A. Smith?
The 57-year-old Smith was born in the Bronx, played college basketball, and began his career as a print reporter, ultimately landing at The Philadelphia Inquirer. He eventually moved on to radio and then to TV as an outspoken co-host of two shows on ESPN and as an NBA analyst. He landed a series of multimillion-dollar contracts, culminating with a five-year $100 million deal earlier this year.
He began commenting on politics in 2007, describing himself as an independent, and has been harshly critical of both the Democratic and Republican parties ever since. In an appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher, he said he voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, which made him "feel like a damn fool." He has consistently criticized the woke policies of the left, but, as an equal opportunity critic, he also has blasted Donald Trump, particularly for his teardown of DEI, saying, "I don't want to hear DEI automatically being about people who happen to be minorities that are unqualified."
When he appeared on The View in March, the media took notice. Immodest to a fault, Smith was supremely confident when questioned by co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin: “In the polls, you’re nearly tied with Pete Buttigieg, AOC, Governor Gretchen Whitmer. You have a higher favorability than John Fetterman and Vice President Harris. What do you make of this?” He replied, “I make of it that citizens, particularly on the left, are desperate … And I mean it when I say it: I think I can beat them all.”
While those comments turned some heads, Smith appeared on the ABC News Sunday show This Week on April 13, claiming a groundswell for him to run had attracted major media coverage:
"Here's the reality: people have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud ... to leave the door open for any possibilities … And that's what I've decided to do … I have no choice, because I've had elected officials coming up to me. I've had folks who are pundits come up to me. I've had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature.”
Smith then quickly downplayed his own political ambitions, saying, “I'm not a politician. I've never had a desire to be a politician." Of course, many candidates over the years have claimed they were running because they were asked to by several people. Is Smith for real by saying he “has no choice” but to consider running for president, or is his reluctance mere posturing?
Inspired or Delusional?
Over the years, rumors have abounded about an assortment of celebrities and businessmen outside the political class considering a run for president. While some unconventional candidates – such as publishing executive Steve Forbes and author/spiritualist Marianne Williamson – have entered the fray, wealthy businessman Ross Perot was the first such outsider to conduct a truly competitive campaign. In 1992, he captured 19% of the general election vote as an independent and stood a decent chance of winning had he not dropped out of the race only to re-enter it later. And, of course, in 2016, along came Donald Trump to break the mold, becoming the first outsider to win a major party nomination and the only president from outside the political and military spheres.
When Forbes and Pat Buchanan entered the GOP presidential primary campaign in 1996 and combined to win a half-dozen primaries, it signaled that, much like the Democrats of today, many Republicans felt queasy about their prospects with a conventional candidate such as Sen. Bob Dole. However, Forbes was an accomplished businessman who had already served in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and advocated for specific policies, such as a “flat tax” and a smaller government. Buchanan was a certified populist who had served in the Nixon and Ford administrations and whose campaign, along with Perot's, ultimately set the table for the Tea Party movement and the emergence of tycoon Trump and his very specific and far-reaching MAGA agenda. What relevant experience would Stephen A. Smith bring to the table? He offers little more than strong opinions, and, as has often been said, opinions are the cheapest commodity on Earth – everyone has them, and they cost nothing.
In the end, just the fact that this ESPN sports personality is being looked upon as a potential savior for the beleaguered Democrats is indicative of just how far the party has fallen. The move may have a puncher’s chance of proving to be inspired, wiping the slate clean and starting all over after the disastrous Biden-Harris administration and the deeply unpopular wokeness embedded in the party. But it is far more likely to be viewed by voters as the product of a party that is either not serious or so delusional that they believe such a person could occupy the Oval Office and perform the most important job in the world.
