While Stephen A. Smith’s candidacy for president is gaining legitimate traction, his former First Take debate partner, Will Cain, didn’t endorse it.
The latest play in Stephen A. Smith for president’s playbook came from Kara Voght and Ben Strauss of The Washington Post, who collected endorsements from Frank Luntz, Mark Cuban, and Steve Bannon. But they also heard from those who wouldn’t endorse the idea, including opposition from Cain.
It’s fair to note that Cain, who recently launched a weekday Fox News show, is a conservative. Smith is believed to have the biggest political potential as a Democratic candidate. So it’s predictable that Cain wouldn’t vote for Smith, but this was just about the likelihood of Smith becoming a presidential candidate in 2028 or thereafter.
“Smith is unpredictable, independent and entertaining. He can command an audience and television screen,” Cain told The Washington Post of his former First Take debate partner. “Those characteristics could remind someone of Donald Trump.”
‘Bombastic TV entertainer with bold opinions and no real background in politics’ certainly puts Smith in a class with Trump regarding their credentials to be president. Where Smith lacks, however, is whether his name resonates across the country as much as Trump’s did when he ran in 2016. Every sports fan knows Smith. His platform is undoubtedly beginning to transcend sports, but Trump has worked on that reach for decades longer than Smith has.
“I don’t think [Smith] has the grasp of the issues to be president,” Cain added. “He’s like a shiny object that someone would be forgiven for taking seriously.”
Smith doesn’t disagree with Cain regarding not grasping the issues of being president. In recent months, Smith has been repeatedly asked to address his potential interest in running for president. And he repeatedly declines to have any interest, citing the potential pay cut and a lack of political knowledge.
It’s fun to keep writing about the idea of Smith running for president, but nobody really believes he will see this story through, right? As Cain said, he’s the shining object amidst the mess as Democrats attempt to pick up the pieces and retool after a disastrous 2024 election season. But even Smith believes he’s better off talking about social and political issues on his podcast and various cable news networks than he is running for office.
As a debate partner on ESPN and a guest on his Fox News show, Cain is all in on Smith. But as president? Cain and Smith agree he’s not the answer for the Democratic Party. However, The big difference is that Smith admits he can be persuaded to think otherwise.
