Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith and “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg debated on Thursday about what key issues the Democratic Party must focus on to take back power and serve the American people.
Smith has made numerous headlines for his hot-takes criticizing both sides of American politics, particularly when he points out where the Democrats have taken missteps in recent years by engaging in far-left cultural politics. This has been such a frequent topic on his show that there has been ongoing speculation about whether or not he will run for president in the next few years. Whoopi appeared to take umbrage at his contention that the Democrats have gone too far on certain cultural agendas.
“I know that you have very strong feelings about Democrats, but I I do have this to say to you. It was important, I think, for Democrats to show that they stood with the LGBT community, that they stood with Black women and women in general. Because once you let us go, once you let women and poor people go, what do you have? And so I’ve listened to lots of people say, you know, that you didn’t follow what was necessary. They did it the way they thought they could. It didn’t work for them, they got it.”
“See, respectfully, I don’t like that. Let me explain,” Smith said.
“As a Democrat, the bottom line is this. We talk about poor people. Who ain’t thinking about poor people?” he asked. “I know I do. I know that most candidates within the Democratic Party that I know, I know they think about poor folks. I know they think about the desolate and the disenfranchised. I get that. But what I’m saying is, that during the campaign, were you doing what it takes to win?”
He went on to criticize Democrats for trying to target Trump for issues that were clearly non-viable or simply did not matter to his voters. Instead, he argued, another path would be better.
“I would say to anybody that doesn’t want JD Vance or Marco Rubio or somebody like that to succeed him… focus on what’s gonna win,” he said. “That’s where my sports background comes in. Tell me what’s gonna win.”
STEPHEN A SMITH DEFENDS POLITICAL COMMENTARY APPROACH, SAYS IT ‘ENCOURAGES’ DIALOGUE FROM BOTH SIDES
“I don’t want to hear — but I understand the LGBTQ community is important. I understand that the desolate and disenfranchised is somebody we should always be looking out for. I understand the economy, I understand immigration, I get all of that. But the point is, I’m trying to win to make sure that I’m in office and you’re not. What is it going to take? The Democrats did not do that last time, and that’s what happened.”
“What is the winning issue now?” co-host Sunny Hostin asked.
“Affordability and safety,” he said. “Period. Affordability and safety.” He later added that it would also be “a willingness to cross the aisle and show that you’re willing to work with people to get stuff done so we don’t have this chaos just because we disagree.”
“I think that the Democrats try harder than the Republicans to do that,” co-host Joy Behar said.
“Really?” Smith asked. “I don’t know about that.”
