ESPN host Stephen A. Smith is looking like a good choice for democrats in 2028 based on a surprising new poll, the UK Daily Mail reported. With just 2% support, Smith is more popular than other establishment choices.
The polling firm McLaughlin & Associates asked 1,000 people who vote in general elections about who they'd choose as the Democratic candidate. The results were predictable, with former Vice President Kamala Harris receiving the top spot with 33%.
However, what was shocking is that Smith outpaced others like Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Both received just 1% of the vote in the hypothetical matchup.
NEW - 2028 Democratic Primary Poll
🔵 Harris 33%
🔵 Buttigieg 9%
🔵 Newsom 7%
🔵 Aoc 6%
🔵 Shapiro 3%
🔵 Walz 3%
🔵 Stephen A. Smith 2%McLaughlin #C - 1/27
— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) January 30, 2025
The poll asked respondents, "Thinking ahead to the 2028 Democratic primary election for President, if that election were held today among the following candidates, for whom would you vote?" After 2024, it's clear Democrats need a strong candidate if they hope to stage a comeback in 2028.
Unfortunately, even with 33% for Harris, it's clear that the stench of that loss hangs heavily on the Democratic Party and the 2024 ticket. Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, only received one more point than Smith, pulling just 3% of the vote.
It's no surprise that Smith's name showed up on the poll, as he has previously suggested that he has political aspirations. Smith has also become outspoken about the reasons Democrats lost and has been just about the only voice on the left to do so.
Fox News reported Smith's first crack at a postmortem came during an interview on The Will Cain Show just two days after the election. "It’s such a strong tilt to the progressive left where we are talking about transgender issues and culture wars and identity politics and all of this stuff," Smith said.
"We are sick of all of that. That makes total, total sense to me, and I’m good with it, even though I didn’t vote for [Trump]. I’m not as taken aback and feeling like nothing but gloom and doom, and the world is coming to an end because the person I voted for didn’t win," Smith added.
It wasn't just post-Election Day regrets for Smith. The ire of the First Take host bubbled up to the surface during a Friday's panel discussion on Real Time with Bill Maher.
Smith ranted about the way the party replaced then-President Joe Biden with Harris. "Kamala Harris, who didn’t resonate during the primaries in 2020, couldn’t even get to Iowa, suddenly is the Democratic nominee, then you roll up to the convention in Chicago and everybody is like ‘She’s a rockstar!’ So it’s like ‘How’d that happen?" Smith said.
"Yes I voted for her, a lot of people voted for her, but in the end, we end up feeling like damn fools. Because we supported it, we fell for the 'okiedoke' as they say. If you had a primary, the likelihood is she would not have been the Democratic nominee," Smith added.
Stephen A Smith feels like a damn fool for voting for Kamala Harris and declares she would have not been the Democrat nominee for president if a primary was held:
SAS: "So Kamala Harris - who didn't resonate during the primaries in 2020, couldn't even get to Iowa - suddenly is… pic.twitter.com/cQzLrMIILU— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) January 25, 2025
Smith said the quiet part out loud about why Democrats lost while those in the establishment are focused on bashing Trump. He's at the bottom of the pile for now, but it's a significant spot considering that the establishment candidates have never taken an honest look at themselves.
