Stephen A. Smith Running For President Is More Real Than It Sounds | Bobby Burack

Stephen A. Smith says he is no longer dismissing the possibility of running for president in 2028.

On Monday, Smith posted on X that he is officially "leaving all doors open" based on the state of the country. "Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney. Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess," he said.

Smith previously stated he could win the Democratic primary but had no intentions of running. Granted, that was when he was still negotiating his five-year, $100 contract with ESPN.

Look, Stephen A. has no business running for president. He's not informed and his political beliefs are shallow and inconsistent. A year ago, he didn't understand the concept of "equity" in reference to DEI. Smith revealed during a podcast appearance with Will Cain that he thought equity was a synonym for equality. By definition, equity is the antithesis of equality.

However, that doesn't mean he won't run for president. And that doesn't mean he wouldn't have a chance, backed and propped up by his current boss, Disney CEO Bob Iger.

In February, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tried to legitimize Smith's potential candidacy by telling reporters, "There is a lot to like about Stephen A. Smith [as a candidate]." We explained at the time that Jeffries understood the opportunity. There is nothing more valuable to party leaders than a puppet candidate with the charisma to spread the message effectively.

That's Stephen A. Smith: a talented communicator willing to adopt whatever beliefs his enablers order.

Stephen A. Smith, via Getty.

Last year, Smith tried to dispel the notion that he is liberal in an interview with Sean Hannity. During the interview, Smith referenced a study that found more and more black men relating to Donald Trump. Smith said he understood why. He then apologized two days later after Black Twitter accused him of "selling out."

"I’m fully aware that I have been in the news the last few days, paraded all over social media as well after comments I made on Fox News’ Hannity last week…A lot of folks in black America seem pretty pissed at me right now," Smith said on X.

"Quite a few folks were offended as my words were interpreted as associating support for Trump by the black community with all the legal issues he’s facing. For that, I sincerely apologize. I’m stating right here for the record that I was taken out of context. Just because my intent was harmless, doesn’t mean my words were harmless, and I know that."

Smith claims he was taken out of context by accurately citing the results of a poll. Got it.

For a field study, listen to what Smith says on the "Mark Levin Show" and compare it to what he says on "The View." It's two different people. But that's the point. That's what makes him potentially useful to the Democrat Party. He is willing to be whoever the party needs him to be.

The party could package Smith as a solution to its disconnect with young males (his background in sports) and a political outsider (the counter to Donald Trump). He could also try to resell identity politics as a solution to the wealth gap (it’s not).

The market agrees he has a chance. 

According to Kalshi, Smith has a 6% chance of winning the Democratic primary in 2028. His odds are even with Kamala Harris and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. California governor Gavin Newsom has the best odds, at 17%.

The challenge for Smith, however, is that he would have to debate the other candidates on stage. While Newsom and Pete Buttigieg are hardly the greatest minds of this generation, they aren't Max Kellerman either. Smith won't be able to bully them and threaten to quit when they make a fool of him.

Smith would also have to answer for his past. What is his past, you might ask? That's the point. We don't know.

Last year, Jason Whitlock reported on a series of inconsistencies and fabrications in Smith's memoir, "Straight Shooter." Smith responded by calling Whitlock a "fat bastard," a "fat piece of shit," and the "seed of the devil". 

By all accounts, Smith created a fake history about himself and wrote a book around it.

So, where does that leave his chances?

It depends on how much the chieftains of the Democratic Party want him to be the candidate. For three straight elections, the party has taken the vote out of the hands of voters. The party conspired to knock out Bernie Sanders twice. Last summer, the party installed Kamala Harris when it realized its plan to conceal Joe Biden's cognitive demise failed after he humiliated himself on the debate stage against Trump.

You'd think the party would prefer someone a bit more formidable against potentially JD Vance than a former 76ers beat reporter who defaults to the race card when in a pinch.

But in a party with AOC, Jasmine Crockett and Tim Walz – perhaps Stephen A. is the most useful option.