The Democratic Party faces criticism for its seemingly uninspired roster of potential presidential candidates, a situation that could spell defeat in the 2028 election, according to one columnist’s assessment.
Although no official announcements have been made, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith revealed in a Sunday interview that he is seriously contemplating a bid for the presidency.
Political analyst Matthew Continetti argues that Smith’s consideration highlights the Democrats’ weakened position, suggesting they may have already conceded the future election to the GOP’s successor to Donald Trump in 2028.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, the conservative commentator examines several Democratic hopefuls, pointing out that each faces significant challenges, supported by polling statistics.
Among the leading figures, Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom were singled out, criticized for representing continuity rather than change.
“Ms. Harris would once again need to justify an administration that voters rejected after four years,” Continetti noted.
He also made fun of her new campaign content hub, ‘Headquarters,’ calling it ‘cringe-worthy.’
While he suggests California Governor Newsom ‘has perfected the art of anti-Trump trolling,’ his governing record makes him vulnerable.
The Democrats have a ‘lackluster’ field of candidates to choose from, including Stephen A. Smith (pictured), potentially condemning them to a loss in the 2028 presidential election over two years early
Matthew Continetti (pictured left) believes the ESPN pundit’s presence in the race shows that the Democrats have already thrown the race to whomever will succeed Donald Trump for the GOP in 2028
‘He’s also spent two decades making the Golden State into a progressive petri dish of high taxes, stultifying regulations and woke culture,’ the writer said.
Continetti is no more favorable to the rest of the field, calling out Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s amateur hour appearance at the Munich Security Conference.
He also notes that the Democrat Party’s drift into her brand of socialism ‘raises troubling questions about the party’s future.’
‘A radicalized base, animated by anti-Trump resistance, may be an asset in special and midterm elections. But open borders, social disorder and transgender ideology have hurt Democrats in presidential years. They will do so again if unchecked.’
Because of these flawed potential candidates, the opening may be there for Smith to jump into the fray.
‘Mock Stephen A. Smith all you like. He may never make it to the debate stage. But others with little or no political experience will surely be tempted. And in today’s media environment, what begins on the fringe often turns into the main event,’ Continetti wrote.
Smith spoke to CBS Sunday Morning in a one-on-one interview with chief Washington analyst Robert Costa.
In that discussion, Smith revealed that he has been mulling over a potential run for the highest office in the land.
Continetti calls out Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom (pictured) as the favorites and slammed them for being more of the same
Continetti is no more favorable to the rest of the field, calling out Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s amateur hour appearance at the Munich Security Conference
‘I will confess to you, I’m giving strong consideration to being on that debate stage for 2027,’ Smith told Costa – who shared a quote from the interview to his X account on Friday.
Smith indicated that he would be running for the Democratic Party nomination: ‘I’ve got this year coming up 2026, to think about it, to study, to know the issues.’
While ‘First Take’ and a national political debate stage are two wildly different mediums for the sharing of ideas, Smith certainly has plenty of experience making his case in front of an audience.
He’s known for being entrenched in his opinions on sports and, likely, will act the same way when it comes to politics.
Smith has briefly teased the idea – including the day after the 2024 election – but the concept has received mixed reviews on social media.
However, he does have at least one person who believes a run would be worth while: President Donald Trump.
‘I love watching him. He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important,’ Trump said of Smith during a NewsNation town hall.
‘People watch him. You know, a lot of these Democrats I watch, I say they have no chance. I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates. And I will tell you, I’d love to see him run.’
