I never believed that Stephen A. Smith was serious about running for President of the United States. The concept itself seemed misguided on its face. Why would someone who has worked so hard to achieve the level of success he’s earned give it up for public service? It made no sense.
Smith officially revealed that he believes he won’t run for office on the debut of Sean Hannity’s new podcast. It figures that Smith would gift the exclusive to his buddy Hannity, since the two have made for good bedfellows on Fox News. That’s it. The campaign that never started is over. Or at least that’s the latest version of the story.
The question now is what’s ‘next?’ Is there a ‘next’ for Smith in the political arena? Instead of looking ahead, I believe we’ve all been witness to the greatest campaign in the history of sports media.
Before moving forward, we should consider the following. Smith’s comments on Hannity’s Hang Out podcast are not the first time he has dismissed the idea of running for office. Just last month, Smith told The White House podcast on Netflix that he’s not giving up his money to be a public official.
“Barack Obama respectfully, because I do revere that man was a community organizer who became an elected official who didn’t have money. I have money. So there’s a difference,” Smith said on The White House podcast last month. “To have the money and have to forfeit it. Just do the math. I’m not confirming nor denying my dollars, because I don’t do that. But just do the math based on the reports. ‘This is what you’re making a year, and with three years left on your deal you’ll have to give up this money in order to run for office.’ Do I look like a person that’s interested in doing that? Hell no.”
Two weeks ago, Smith told CBS Sunday Morning that he’s “giving strong consideration” to being on the debate stage in 2027.
Yesterday, Smith told Hannity he’s not running.
“I don’t think I’m running either because I’ve got to give up my money,” Smith said during the interview with Hannity, before doubling down on the idea that stepping away from his earning power would make little sense.
Despite Smith’s lack of desire to pick a lane and stick to it, should we really expect him not to say he’s still considering running in a week or two?
The point is the back and forth is laughable. Plus, exhausting. But that’s strategy at work is working extremely well. A campaign was underway without being announced.
By creating a narrative that he could be an outside candidate for the Democratic Party, Smith has increased his value away from ESPN. He’s now making numerous appearances on network political talk shows, Real Time with Bill Maher, and any podcast that says, “Hey Stephen A.”
Smith is a visionary, seeing value where others neglect nor challenge themselves to look outside the walls of “the mothership.”
Is Smith worth his reported $20 million a year for ESPN? That depends on who you ask. What is known is that his workload has decreased with the network while he seeks opportunities elsewhere. SiriusXM gave Smith what he couldn’t get with ESPN: an opportunity to expand his audience outside of sports using the megaphone of SiriusXM radio.
When I wrote yesterday that Pat McAfee is the new quarterback of ESPN, it’s because Stephen A. Smith is allowing him to take the crowd and scepter. Smith understands that his ceiling at ESPN has been reached. The work and effort he put into not only First Take but also numerous roles on other programs made him his money.
He’s comfortable at ESPN because he doesn’t need to do more. No matter how he says it or fronts it, Smith knows his bread will be buttered elsewhere when his current ESPN deal is up.
Begin the campaign! Start a narrative that he’s seeking public office. That’s a way to get people talking while making additional money and expanding his overall reach for Straight Shooter Media.
It’s smart, planned and has been executed properly to the delight of some.
Now that he’s out of the picture — at least we think — some ask why would any audience care about Smith’s political leanings or opinions? Doesn’t his voice lose weight in the political arena if he’s not a player in it? If he’s not serious about demanding and enacting change for America, why would America care about his thoughts and feelings on issues?
These are legit questions to raise. Smith has no background in politics. He’s a sports commentator. Politics may be a sport, but with no history in the field he’s just another voice.
Another voice that’s choosing his own bank account over being a voice for change.
That’s not good for political discourse, but doesn’t it matter? Another selfish millionaire using the media eco-system for his own monetary gain. Sound familiar?
We live in a reactionary society and an attention economy. Smith gained attention because he knows how to play the game better than anyone. Now he has cashed in, expanded his audience and taken on more work away from his main employer while doing less there. Some would call that the American dream.
Make the most, do the least, with the freedom to expand elsewhere. All by owning the attention economy.
That’s the formula Stephen A. Smith appears to be following right now, and from a business standpoint it’s hard to argue with the results. He’s bigger than ever, more visible than ever and making more money than ever.
But if the idea of running for president was never serious, the whole exercise says less about politics and more about the media environment we now live in — one where even the possibility of a campaign can become just another tool for building a brand.
That may be the American dream, but it’s also the modern media playbook. Float a big idea, dominate the conversation and turn the buzz into opportunity.
Good for Stephen A. Smith. That’s the business of modern media. He won.
Stephen A. Smith didn’t run for president. He didn’t need to. The campaign trail was never the point. The spotlight and expansion of his audience was.
In the end, the campaign that never was may have been the most successful one Smith’s ever run.
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