It's the Final Thoughts of the Week, from Stephen A. Smith to Will Smith to Bernie Sanders to AOC.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lada with mouting. Earlier tonight, I was telling you how
(00:21):
Stephen A. Smith fancies himself as a presidential candidate, but
having nothing to do with him. You have to be
a narcissist to even want to be President of the
United States, leader of the free world, head of the
federal government and the tens of thousands of employees directing
domestic policy, international policy, commander in chief, and all that
(00:44):
it entails. You are a megalomaniac to think that you
individually are up to that task. Some are as in
some are up to the task, but most definitely are not.
But either way, you are definitely a narcissist to want
the job, to think that you could even do the
(01:04):
job in today's world.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
But that's just the person who wants the job.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
There's a conversation to be had as to how this
country picks its leaders and the person for the job.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
It used to be, and I think Mark remembers this time.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
It used to be that senators were hamstrung running for
president because they had quote unquote no executive experience like
governors did. Carter governor, Reagan governor, Clinton governor. You had
senators become president, but it was a tougher sell. Once
upon a time America demanded, once upon a time executive experience,
(01:43):
but that was a different America.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
But let me get back to Stephen A. Smith. There's
no Stephen A.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Smith flirting with a presidential run without a Donald Trump
to precede him. I think Mark made that point, and
it's accurate for some reason. And I made the point.
We don't respect competency, experience, or expertise anymore. Executive experience
no longer matters at all. Charisma has always been important,
(02:10):
but at least ever since Nixon and JFK faced off
in that first televised debate. TV presence matters, no doubt. Absolutely,
you gotta look good on camera. But we're way beyond
the tipping point now. Half of this president's cabinet are
either former television hosts or commentators, or they run their
(02:32):
own television production company, like Lenna McMahon. And way too
many people think that that's okay, it's not, and that's
not a political statement. I just think we can do
better than people tied to TV. The president is a
former TV reality show host. Recognize the pattern. Here's Stephen A.
Smith's public resume and it is inarguable. After Smith attended
(02:55):
the Fashion Institute of Technology for one year, Smith received
a basketball scholarship to Winston Salem State University. I'm not
making any of this up. One year Fashion Institute of Technology.
Smith began his print media career with the Winston Salem Journal,
the Greensboro News and Record, and the New York Daily News.
Then the Philadelphia Inquirer, NBA columnist, radio host, television commentator,
(03:21):
podcast host, television host, registered independent. Those are his bonafides
or bonafie days. As some people say bona fides, some
other people say, Steven A. Smith, as I said earlier,
is more famous than I am. He is much more
wealthy than I am. But his professional resume that I
(03:41):
just read to you and his relevant experience is a little.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Different than mine.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
In fact, I can say confidently I said it before
and I'll say it again, I have more applicable experience
than he does. And if he were here on this show, yes,
I would talk to him. I would tell him that
to his face. And I'm here to tell you, even
though I have more applicable experience, I'm in no way qualified,
and nobody with a similar resume. Mark Roner has a
similar resume, and with all due respect, I don't think
(04:10):
he would be.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
You know, I part my hair on the left, so
I am qualified to be president.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, Well, with the exception of Mark Ronder, the rest
of us are in no way qualified, especially those with
a similar resume. We're not qualified to command our troops,
handle classified intelligence, work with Congress. So put another way,
lead this nation. But we live at a time where
competency doesn't have any value anymore.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Just personality. Steven A.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Smith, He's a personality, and believe it or not, being
president is a real Asfrican job. Although we have collectively
devalued the jobs that members of Congress do or the
requirements for the people we elect, they actually do. You know,
folks in Congress, it does prepare someone to run a government,
handle policy and classified information. That that's why there are
(05:00):
these things such as the Arms Services Committee, the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
They match her greatly.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Civic something this country has been grossly derelict in teaching.
If you paid attention, you would know that, but most
of us, as Americans, do not. When you want to
discuss the latest trades and prospects, of the Lakers winning
the championship called Stephen A Smith and that's what he thinks.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
That's his stock and trade.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
You don't call him to legitimize his wet dream of
running for president like ABC News did. And yes, I know, ABC,
ESPN same conglomerate of Disney.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
I get that.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
But ABC News was bending over to pick up, elevate
and legitimize Smith and his delusions of grandeur. Legacy media
already struggling to remain relevant and be seen as credible,
and here they were putting another carnival Barker on the
Sunday News asking about his presidential aspirations. That again makes
(05:59):
this country seem like joke. I know that sounds harsh,
but it's the truth. Not just anyone can be president.
That's not a controversial statement. There are consequences to this
foolishness and unseriousness. Being loud, opinionated, controversial, and speaking one's
mind are not presidential job qualifications. Being on TV is
(06:19):
it a presidential job qualification? Having a sports podcast is
not a presidential job qualification. And the sooner America figures
this out, the sooner we can go back to normality
and not a moment before. We don't hire pilots. We
don't hire doctors, lawyers, plumbers, welders, teachers, dentists, gardeners, prostitutes
(06:39):
on personality. We do it on professional competency. So why
in the world would we even consider choosing a leader
of the free world on anything less. For KF I
am six forty, I'm o Kelly.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I wouldn't say that I know Will Smith. I know
that I've met him.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I've met him and Jada Pinkett Smith when they were
dating many many years ago.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And you get to see people disarmed, you get to
see them.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
I get the sense, or I got the sense that
Will Smith is a decent person. I got the sense
that Jada Pinkett Smith, then just Jada Pinkett was a
decent person.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
But you don't know. I always say you don't know
these people.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
But I can say that when I was in the
music business, it was during the height of Will Smith's career,
and I know a little something about that time in music.
And I want to end the show tonight talking about
Will Smith. And I'm not going to stretch and reach
and try to connect dots which may not be there.
Like I said last segment, We've talked about what seems
(07:54):
to be a failed musical effort by Will Smith based
on a true story, his new music project. I say
failed because the majority of promotion and press for a
new album, any new album is done in anticipation of
its first week of release. Just like a movie, you
have to have a great first weekend because it's diminishing
returns from there. As you already know, Smith's project name
(08:17):
based on a true story, it bombed. Some will wrongly
say that Smith is still canceled. No, he's never been canceled.
That's reaching the connect dots to Chris Rock, which aren't there.
Will Smith released a successful movie last year, Bad Boys
Rider Die, which grows more than four hundred million dollars worldwide.
It was a success by every measure. You can't say
(08:38):
he was canceled, and his Chris Rock transgression would have
had more impact on his movie career than anything. So
this is I think about a really late middle age crisis.
I would wager Smith has to be more than halfway
to a billion dollars. He's already won four Grammys, he's
won a Best Actor Oscar.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
He want a BAFTA for Best Actor.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
He's been nominated for an Emmy for his work with
Cobra Kai, He's won a Golden Globe, He's won multiple
MTV Video Music Awards and American Music Awards.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
If this were about.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Reaching new heights or new accomplishments, let's say he's going
after an egod, well we would have seen Smith chase
a Tony Award. But instead he's bending over, reaching down
to pick up his music success of his past, for tweens,
for teenagers, for twenty somethings, while he's staring age fifty
(09:35):
seven square in the face. And I want to be
clear here, it's his life. It's his time left with
his life, it's his legacy. Everything he's gotten so far
he has definitely earned, and that includes the right to
even fail if need be. But he hasn't earned the
right to escape public review or critique. If he wanted
(09:55):
to escape all that, he should have become a recluse
like Jack Nicholson. But instead he chose to put out
a new album targeted at fans as much as forty
years younger than him, and fans get to review and critique.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Art music is not like movies.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Dentel Washington, he's seventy years old, and twenty somethings will
still go to see him. Twenty somethings won't do that.
For pop music stars, they will not. Music just doesn't
have that age elasticity. It never has. I just don't,
for the life of me, understand why Smith seems to
be at this point trying to chase his glory from
the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Honestly, that's why I.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Call it an extremely late midlife crisis, more like a
two thirds life crisis. Much has been made of his
marriage to Jada Pica Smith and the various controversies which
have swirled around it, from her entanglement to quote unquote
with son Jaden's friend august Alcina, to what I would
call the very public emasculation of Smith. With the public revelation,
(10:51):
I just got to be honest as a man, I
don't know how I would have responded to that. If
anything that made Smith a more sympathetic figure to me,
it was that no man deserved that. Then again, no
man deserved what he did to Chris Rock. And you
can bet all of this is emotionally At least, this
is one dot I will connect. This is emotionally connected. Somehow,
(11:14):
some way deep inside of Smith. All these things have
to be connected somewhere. I'll go one step further. I
believe his descent from the mountaintop of Hollywood will never
be separate altogether from the moment he assaulted Chris Rock
at the Oscars. I don't believe he makes this album
if that moment didn't happen. I'll never believe he will
fully ever get out from under that. There are some
(11:37):
things you just can't undo. Whereas this music failure, and
that's my word, I call it a failure of Smith
is probably far more disappointing to Smith himself than anyone else.
I'm more curious what peace and happiness may look like
for Smith in this stage of his career where he's
not the star. He's not the draw that he was
(11:59):
ten years ago in a cinematic sense, and not the
music star he was some thirty five years ago. Because
if peace and happiness are in any way tied to
one last gasp of super stardom, which is different from stardom,
if this album is any indication that may be no
longer in reach, and if this is a mid to
(12:19):
late life crisis for Will Smith, I wonder what that
means for him as an artist, as a father, and
as a man for CAF.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I am six forty, I'm Kelly.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
For my final thought tonight, I previewed it in my
and I said, I wanted to talk about the stop
oligarchy rallies, and I think that's what they're called. And
I'm not saying this for effect, And it's weird when
I ever mentioned anything politics, I'll get these messages from you,
and y'all are crazy.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
You want to talk.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
About stuff that had nothing to do with whatever I said.
You want me to argue with you about stuff I
didn't say, or things you imagine. You must be drunk, high,
or just not really paying attention, whatever it is. But
it's just weird what you think you here versus what
I actually say. But I get really bothered, to get
to the point, by the coverage of these stop oligarchy rallies.
(13:36):
And I'm not sure exactly what they're called, but you
know the ones I'm talking about, the ones with Senator
Bernie Sanders and AOC Congresswoman AOC, I think they're called that.
I was doing a hit on Spectrum News on Monday
and I was asked what I thought about them, and
I didn't know they said right before I sat in
a chair and say, hey, we also want to get
your thoughts on this. So I didn't have a lot
of time to prepare anything. I was just coming off
(13:58):
the top of my head. But here's what I think
about the stop oligarchy rallies, That's what I'll call them.
There is what they actually are, and there is what
they aren't. And I know that Democrats largely want to
use them, These rallies, these protests the see of people
as some sort of evidence that the Democrats are on
the verge of turning things around, and I am here
(14:20):
to tell you, no, they're not. Others will argue that
it shows that the rallies are at the start of
this gigantic blue wave in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
No they're not.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
The midterms are more than a year and a half away.
Nothing happening today will be impactful eighteen months from now.
Nothing not the tariffs, not doze firings, and definitely not
any of these protests or rallies. Think of it like
the stock market. Whatever the stock market numbers are like
right now won't matter. In eighteen months, well, a completely
(14:55):
different picture will be in a completely different economic state.
The rallies, other than making the disaffected feel better momentarily
at that, they're not impactful at all, not short term
or long term. I hate to be the bearer of
bad news, but I like to tell the truth. They
don't matter. That's what they're not. Here's what they are.
(15:18):
They actually are. They are great fundraising tools for AOC,
for Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Party. They're great in
the formulation of future outreach because you know when you
get information on these rallies, know when to show up
and where to go. You're getting your name, your address
(15:40):
going to be used later for mass focused group marketing,
seeing what messages resonate better than others. And it's also
great for AOC. Individually. She's doing great fundraising. She's probably
one of the largest fundraisers in the Democratic Party right now,
and it's no secret that she, like her or not,
is raising her national profile.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
She may be a candidate for New York governor.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Don't know, she may be a candidate for senator, because
her name has been bandied about to challenge Chuck Schumer.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Who knows.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
She could be a Democratic Party congressional leader as in
future Speaker of the House if she stays in the
House long term. All these things have been theorized, and
there are arguments to make for all of them.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
But here's the really difficult truth.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
This is about then, not about now, and everything that
AOC wants to do requires a national profile that helps
her down the road. All these rallies help that. That
helps her. It doesn't help you, not as a voter.
It doesn't really even help the party outside of grassroots strategies.
It's not going to tip any balance. It's not going
to win any elections because there are no elections on
(16:51):
the immediate horizon. But they are a balm for but
her Democrats and sometimes sometimes eating a gallon of ice
cream is the best you can do to me to
hurt go away, And I would like in these rallies,
these protests to the gallon of ice cream for a
party wallowing in their sorrows. Bernie Sanders is not a
potential candidate for president in twenty twenty eight, and.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Neither is AOC.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
These rallies have been more performative than they've been transformative.
Bernie Sanders at Coachella, What are we talking about? That
does not matter? There's no Coachella voting block in California
is not in danger of going red in a presidential election.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
See what I mean? That's more ice cream, make you
feel better.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
The point of this is that we shouldn't confuse something
impressive with something impactful.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
The rally crowds are no doubt impressive.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
You get thirty six thousand people out, that's impressive, but
it's not impactful. Nothing happening in mid twenty twenty five
is going to tell us what's going to happen in
late twenty twenty six. So Democrats, this is what I
say to you. Each ice cream, sit on the couch,
get sloppy, obese, fat fart, do whatever you want. Nobody's
(18:01):
as for when twenty twenty six rolls around. Some of
this might matter. That's next year, but not now. Not
the anti Trump protests, not the anti oligarchy rallies, none
of it. Your job is to show up in big
numbers when it matters most, you know, like in November
of twenty twenty four, when you didn't that would have
been election day, and not someday in April when it
(18:25):
doesn't matter at all. Here's a takeaway message, As they say,
if the Democrats could, among other things, figure out the
difference between showing up for a rally and showing up
on election day.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
We wouldn't be having this conversation for KF.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I am six forty, I'm mo Kelly, and it closed
out this week as far as final thoughts on a
tie tonight in the last night, and you may remember
(19:01):
I said last night, and I'm quoting myself, which is
kind of weird quote. Bernie Sanders is not a potential
candidate for president in twenty twenty eight, and honestly.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Neither is AOC.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
These rallies, the oligarchy, rallies stop oligarchy, have been more
performative than transformative.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Bertie Sanders at Coachella does not matter.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
There is no Coachella voting block in California is not
in danger of going red in the presidential election. Close quote,
And the universe is trying to tell me I'm wrong,
But I also said this quote it The turnout is
great for AOC individually, she's doing great fundraising. It's no
secret that AOC like her or not, is raising her
(19:43):
national profile.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
She may be a candidate for New York governor.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
She could be a Democratic Party congressional leader, as in
future Speaker of the House if she stays in the
House long term. But all that requires a national profile.
All of this, these rallies help that. All of this
her close quote. Now here's a sample of some of
the headlines just since I said that last night.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
This is all within the past twenty three hours.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
AOC draws three mile long line for rally in California's
Trump Country. That's from the San Francisco Gate, Sanders in
Ocasio Cortes, electrified Democrats who want to fight Trump.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
That's the New York Times Today.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
President AOC question Mark Atalys predicts she's a top twenty
twenty eight contender. That's Newsweek, And that's pointing towards Nate
Silver and his prediction. The crowds tell the story. Sanders
AOC get massive draw to rally in red state. That's MSNBC.
Congresswoman AOC is thirty five years old. She fulfills the
(20:46):
eligibility requirements to become president. In normal times, nobody would
even humor such a conversation. I'm not talking about becoming president.
I'm just talking about becoming the party nominee. But to
devetail on what I was saying last night. Those stop
the Oligarch's rallies were not about the people.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
They weren't about the issues.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
They were about marketing and conducting a focus group for
the party, trying to see what messages resonated with the masses.
And I have to give credit where credit is due
to Wala Sharp and I and our video technical director Daniel.
We're all talking about this before the show, and Tuala
had the correct formulation. There is no reason for Bernie
(21:29):
Sanders and AOC to go out on any quote unquote
concert tour, because that's what it was. It was a
concert tour which included stopping by an actual concert in
the form of Coachella.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
And because of.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
That, Twala thinks, I don't know, but this is what
Tula thinks. He thinks that Bernie is gearing up for
one last run. Mind you, he'd be eighty six when
the next election rolls around. But Twala thinks Bernie's of
the opinion that he and only he can save the Democrats,
which would be weird because he's only a Democrat when
he runs for president. He's an independent any other time,
(22:04):
including right now at this moment, he's an independent. Although
we can't predict what will happen in twenty twenty eight,
and far be it from me to tell the Democrats
what they need to do to get right with America.
But I will say this, if either Senator Bernie Sanders
or Congresswoman Alexandria Cassio Cortez is the Democratic Party's nominee
for president, the Democrats are going to get creamed.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Are you hearing me? Democrats? You are going to.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Get creamed, creamed in an all time sort of beat
down way. I know what Bernie's probably thinking. Bernie's probably thinking,
you tried Hillary, she lost. You tried Kamala, she lost.
Bernie probably thinks he's the only one who can save
the party and has been overlooked for the past nine
years or so. Democrats, your nominee must be someone who
(22:52):
can win, not someone a wing of your party happens
to like a lot.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
And I slow down because I need you to hear me.
Those are very different things.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
You can't piss off twenty percent of your own party
with someone who has really, really liked by only forty
percent of your party and would struggle to pull moderates
or Reagan Democrats. The party as a whole would not
unite behind Bernie ever, he's not even a Democrat. They've
tried it before, and even if they tried again, the
party will not unite behind him. He's an independent and
(23:26):
just caucuses with the party. Well what does that mean, mo,
I'm glad you asked. It means he has never embraced
the party or its platform, except for the benefit the
party affords when running for president, meaning Bernie would get
to be a part of the debates, he would get
access to the party resources, he would have access to
the voter rolls. But the party would not unite behind
(23:47):
Bernie Sanders, and the party would not unite behind AOC
because she is perceived as too far left, not by conservatives,
by even Democrats and liberals. She's too left for the
totality of the party. If the Democrats think that it
can't get any worse, mess around and put either Birdie
(24:07):
or AOC at the top of the ticket. And I
mean every word of that. For k if I am
six forty, I'm Moe Kelly
Lada with mouting. Earlier tonight, I was telling you how
(00:21):
Stephen A. Smith fancies himself as a presidential candidate, but
having nothing to do with him. You have to be
a narcissist to even want to be President of the
United States, leader of the free world, head of the
federal government and the tens of thousands of employees directing
domestic policy, international policy, commander in chief, and all that
(00:44):
it entails. You are a megalomaniac to think that you
individually are up to that task. Some are as in
some are up to the task, but most definitely are not.
But either way, you are definitely a narcissist to want
the job, to think that you could even do the
(01:04):
job in today's world.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
But that's just the person who wants the job.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
There's a conversation to be had as to how this
country picks its leaders and the person for the job.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
It used to be, and I think Mark remembers this time.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
It used to be that senators were hamstrung running for
president because they had quote unquote no executive experience like
governors did. Carter governor, Reagan governor, Clinton governor. You had
senators become president, but it was a tougher sell. Once
upon a time America demanded, once upon a time executive experience,
(01:43):
but that was a different America.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
But let me get back to Stephen A. Smith. There's
no Stephen A.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Smith flirting with a presidential run without a Donald Trump
to precede him. I think Mark made that point, and
it's accurate for some reason. And I made the point.
We don't respect competency, experience, or expertise anymore. Executive experience
no longer matters at all. Charisma has always been important,
(02:10):
but at least ever since Nixon and JFK faced off
in that first televised debate. TV presence matters, no doubt. Absolutely,
you gotta look good on camera. But we're way beyond
the tipping point now. Half of this president's cabinet are
either former television hosts or commentators, or they run their
(02:32):
own television production company, like Lenna McMahon. And way too
many people think that that's okay, it's not, and that's
not a political statement. I just think we can do
better than people tied to TV. The president is a
former TV reality show host. Recognize the pattern. Here's Stephen A.
Smith's public resume and it is inarguable. After Smith attended
(02:55):
the Fashion Institute of Technology for one year, Smith received
a basketball scholarship to Winston Salem State University. I'm not
making any of this up. One year Fashion Institute of Technology.
Smith began his print media career with the Winston Salem Journal,
the Greensboro News and Record, and the New York Daily News.
Then the Philadelphia Inquirer, NBA columnist, radio host, television commentator,
(03:21):
podcast host, television host, registered independent. Those are his bonafides
or bonafie days. As some people say bona fides, some
other people say, Steven A. Smith, as I said earlier,
is more famous than I am. He is much more
wealthy than I am. But his professional resume that I
(03:41):
just read to you and his relevant experience is a little.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Different than mine.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
In fact, I can say confidently I said it before
and I'll say it again, I have more applicable experience
than he does. And if he were here on this show, yes,
I would talk to him. I would tell him that
to his face. And I'm here to tell you, even
though I have more applicable experience, I'm in no way qualified,
and nobody with a similar resume. Mark Roner has a
similar resume, and with all due respect, I don't think
(04:10):
he would be.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
You know, I part my hair on the left, so
I am qualified to be president.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, Well, with the exception of Mark Ronder, the rest
of us are in no way qualified, especially those with
a similar resume. We're not qualified to command our troops,
handle classified intelligence, work with Congress. So put another way,
lead this nation. But we live at a time where
competency doesn't have any value anymore.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Just personality. Steven A.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Smith, He's a personality, and believe it or not, being
president is a real Asfrican job. Although we have collectively
devalued the jobs that members of Congress do or the
requirements for the people we elect, they actually do. You know,
folks in Congress, it does prepare someone to run a government,
handle policy and classified information. That that's why there are
(05:00):
these things such as the Arms Services Committee, the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
They match her greatly.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Civic something this country has been grossly derelict in teaching.
If you paid attention, you would know that, but most
of us, as Americans, do not. When you want to
discuss the latest trades and prospects, of the Lakers winning
the championship called Stephen A Smith and that's what he thinks.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
That's his stock and trade.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
You don't call him to legitimize his wet dream of
running for president like ABC News did. And yes, I know, ABC,
ESPN same conglomerate of Disney.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
I get that.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
But ABC News was bending over to pick up, elevate
and legitimize Smith and his delusions of grandeur. Legacy media
already struggling to remain relevant and be seen as credible,
and here they were putting another carnival Barker on the
Sunday News asking about his presidential aspirations. That again makes
(05:59):
this country seem like joke. I know that sounds harsh,
but it's the truth. Not just anyone can be president.
That's not a controversial statement. There are consequences to this
foolishness and unseriousness. Being loud, opinionated, controversial, and speaking one's
mind are not presidential job qualifications. Being on TV is
(06:19):
it a presidential job qualification? Having a sports podcast is
not a presidential job qualification. And the sooner America figures
this out, the sooner we can go back to normality
and not a moment before. We don't hire pilots. We
don't hire doctors, lawyers, plumbers, welders, teachers, dentists, gardeners, prostitutes
(06:39):
on personality. We do it on professional competency. So why
in the world would we even consider choosing a leader
of the free world on anything less. For KF I
am six forty, I'm o Kelly.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I wouldn't say that I know Will Smith. I know
that I've met him.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I've met him and Jada Pinkett Smith when they were
dating many many years ago.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And you get to see people disarmed, you get to
see them.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
I get the sense, or I got the sense that
Will Smith is a decent person. I got the sense
that Jada Pinkett Smith, then just Jada Pinkett was a
decent person.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
But you don't know. I always say you don't know
these people.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
But I can say that when I was in the
music business, it was during the height of Will Smith's career,
and I know a little something about that time in music.
And I want to end the show tonight talking about
Will Smith. And I'm not going to stretch and reach
and try to connect dots which may not be there.
Like I said last segment, We've talked about what seems
(07:54):
to be a failed musical effort by Will Smith based
on a true story, his new music project. I say
failed because the majority of promotion and press for a
new album, any new album is done in anticipation of
its first week of release. Just like a movie, you
have to have a great first weekend because it's diminishing
returns from there. As you already know, Smith's project name
(08:17):
based on a true story, it bombed. Some will wrongly
say that Smith is still canceled. No, he's never been canceled.
That's reaching the connect dots to Chris Rock, which aren't there.
Will Smith released a successful movie last year, Bad Boys
Rider Die, which grows more than four hundred million dollars worldwide.
It was a success by every measure. You can't say
(08:38):
he was canceled, and his Chris Rock transgression would have
had more impact on his movie career than anything. So
this is I think about a really late middle age crisis.
I would wager Smith has to be more than halfway
to a billion dollars. He's already won four Grammys, he's
won a Best Actor Oscar.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
He want a BAFTA for Best Actor.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
He's been nominated for an Emmy for his work with
Cobra Kai, He's won a Golden Globe, He's won multiple
MTV Video Music Awards and American Music Awards.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
If this were about.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Reaching new heights or new accomplishments, let's say he's going
after an egod, well we would have seen Smith chase
a Tony Award. But instead he's bending over, reaching down
to pick up his music success of his past, for tweens,
for teenagers, for twenty somethings, while he's staring age fifty
(09:35):
seven square in the face. And I want to be
clear here, it's his life. It's his time left with
his life, it's his legacy. Everything he's gotten so far
he has definitely earned, and that includes the right to
even fail if need be. But he hasn't earned the
right to escape public review or critique. If he wanted
(09:55):
to escape all that, he should have become a recluse
like Jack Nicholson. But instead he chose to put out
a new album targeted at fans as much as forty
years younger than him, and fans get to review and critique.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Art music is not like movies.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Dentel Washington, he's seventy years old, and twenty somethings will
still go to see him. Twenty somethings won't do that.
For pop music stars, they will not. Music just doesn't
have that age elasticity. It never has. I just don't,
for the life of me, understand why Smith seems to
be at this point trying to chase his glory from
the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Honestly, that's why I.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Call it an extremely late midlife crisis, more like a
two thirds life crisis. Much has been made of his
marriage to Jada Pica Smith and the various controversies which
have swirled around it, from her entanglement to quote unquote
with son Jaden's friend august Alcina, to what I would
call the very public emasculation of Smith. With the public revelation,
(10:51):
I just got to be honest as a man, I
don't know how I would have responded to that. If
anything that made Smith a more sympathetic figure to me,
it was that no man deserved that. Then again, no
man deserved what he did to Chris Rock. And you
can bet all of this is emotionally At least, this
is one dot I will connect. This is emotionally connected. Somehow,
(11:14):
some way deep inside of Smith. All these things have
to be connected somewhere. I'll go one step further. I
believe his descent from the mountaintop of Hollywood will never
be separate altogether from the moment he assaulted Chris Rock
at the Oscars. I don't believe he makes this album
if that moment didn't happen. I'll never believe he will
fully ever get out from under that. There are some
(11:37):
things you just can't undo. Whereas this music failure, and
that's my word, I call it a failure of Smith
is probably far more disappointing to Smith himself than anyone else.
I'm more curious what peace and happiness may look like
for Smith in this stage of his career where he's
not the star. He's not the draw that he was
(11:59):
ten years ago in a cinematic sense, and not the
music star he was some thirty five years ago. Because
if peace and happiness are in any way tied to
one last gasp of super stardom, which is different from stardom,
if this album is any indication that may be no
longer in reach, and if this is a mid to
(12:19):
late life crisis for Will Smith, I wonder what that
means for him as an artist, as a father, and
as a man for CAF.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I am six forty, I'm Kelly.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
For my final thought tonight, I previewed it in my
and I said, I wanted to talk about the stop
oligarchy rallies, and I think that's what they're called. And
I'm not saying this for effect, And it's weird when
I ever mentioned anything politics, I'll get these messages from you,
and y'all are crazy.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
You want to talk.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
About stuff that had nothing to do with whatever I said.
You want me to argue with you about stuff I
didn't say, or things you imagine. You must be drunk, high,
or just not really paying attention, whatever it is. But
it's just weird what you think you here versus what
I actually say. But I get really bothered, to get
to the point, by the coverage of these stop oligarchy rallies.
(13:36):
And I'm not sure exactly what they're called, but you
know the ones I'm talking about, the ones with Senator
Bernie Sanders and AOC Congresswoman AOC, I think they're called that.
I was doing a hit on Spectrum News on Monday
and I was asked what I thought about them, and
I didn't know they said right before I sat in
a chair and say, hey, we also want to get
your thoughts on this. So I didn't have a lot
of time to prepare anything. I was just coming off
(13:58):
the top of my head. But here's what I think
about the stop oligarchy rallies, That's what I'll call them.
There is what they actually are, and there is what
they aren't. And I know that Democrats largely want to
use them, These rallies, these protests the see of people
as some sort of evidence that the Democrats are on
the verge of turning things around, and I am here
(14:20):
to tell you, no, they're not. Others will argue that
it shows that the rallies are at the start of
this gigantic blue wave in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
No they're not.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
The midterms are more than a year and a half away.
Nothing happening today will be impactful eighteen months from now.
Nothing not the tariffs, not doze firings, and definitely not
any of these protests or rallies. Think of it like
the stock market. Whatever the stock market numbers are like
right now won't matter. In eighteen months, well, a completely
(14:55):
different picture will be in a completely different economic state.
The rallies, other than making the disaffected feel better momentarily
at that, they're not impactful at all, not short term
or long term. I hate to be the bearer of
bad news, but I like to tell the truth. They
don't matter. That's what they're not. Here's what they are.
(15:18):
They actually are. They are great fundraising tools for AOC,
for Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Party. They're great in
the formulation of future outreach because you know when you
get information on these rallies, know when to show up
and where to go. You're getting your name, your address
(15:40):
going to be used later for mass focused group marketing,
seeing what messages resonate better than others. And it's also
great for AOC. Individually. She's doing great fundraising. She's probably
one of the largest fundraisers in the Democratic Party right now,
and it's no secret that she, like her or not,
is raising her national profile.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
She may be a candidate for New York governor.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Don't know, she may be a candidate for senator, because
her name has been bandied about to challenge Chuck Schumer.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Who knows.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
She could be a Democratic Party congressional leader as in
future Speaker of the House if she stays in the
House long term. All these things have been theorized, and
there are arguments to make for all of them.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
But here's the really difficult truth.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
This is about then, not about now, and everything that
AOC wants to do requires a national profile that helps
her down the road. All these rallies help that. That
helps her. It doesn't help you, not as a voter.
It doesn't really even help the party outside of grassroots strategies.
It's not going to tip any balance. It's not going
to win any elections because there are no elections on
(16:51):
the immediate horizon. But they are a balm for but
her Democrats and sometimes sometimes eating a gallon of ice
cream is the best you can do to me to
hurt go away, And I would like in these rallies,
these protests to the gallon of ice cream for a
party wallowing in their sorrows. Bernie Sanders is not a
potential candidate for president in twenty twenty eight, and.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Neither is AOC.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
These rallies have been more performative than they've been transformative.
Bernie Sanders at Coachella, What are we talking about? That
does not matter? There's no Coachella voting block in California
is not in danger of going red in a presidential election.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
See what I mean? That's more ice cream, make you
feel better.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
The point of this is that we shouldn't confuse something
impressive with something impactful.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
The rally crowds are no doubt impressive.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
You get thirty six thousand people out, that's impressive, but
it's not impactful. Nothing happening in mid twenty twenty five
is going to tell us what's going to happen in
late twenty twenty six. So Democrats, this is what I
say to you. Each ice cream, sit on the couch,
get sloppy, obese, fat fart, do whatever you want. Nobody's
(18:01):
as for when twenty twenty six rolls around. Some of
this might matter. That's next year, but not now. Not
the anti Trump protests, not the anti oligarchy rallies, none
of it. Your job is to show up in big
numbers when it matters most, you know, like in November
of twenty twenty four, when you didn't that would have
been election day, and not someday in April when it
(18:25):
doesn't matter at all. Here's a takeaway message, As they say,
if the Democrats could, among other things, figure out the
difference between showing up for a rally and showing up
on election day.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
We wouldn't be having this conversation for KF.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I am six forty, I'm mo Kelly, and it closed
out this week as far as final thoughts on a
tie tonight in the last night, and you may remember
(19:01):
I said last night, and I'm quoting myself, which is
kind of weird quote. Bernie Sanders is not a potential
candidate for president in twenty twenty eight, and honestly.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Neither is AOC.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
These rallies, the oligarchy, rallies stop oligarchy, have been more
performative than transformative.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Bertie Sanders at Coachella does not matter.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
There is no Coachella voting block in California is not
in danger of going red in the presidential election. Close quote,
And the universe is trying to tell me I'm wrong,
But I also said this quote it The turnout is
great for AOC individually, she's doing great fundraising. It's no
secret that AOC like her or not, is raising her
(19:43):
national profile.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
She may be a candidate for New York governor.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
She could be a Democratic Party congressional leader, as in
future Speaker of the House if she stays in the
House long term. But all that requires a national profile.
All of this, these rallies help that. All of this
her close quote. Now here's a sample of some of
the headlines just since I said that last night.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
This is all within the past twenty three hours.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
AOC draws three mile long line for rally in California's
Trump Country. That's from the San Francisco Gate, Sanders in
Ocasio Cortes, electrified Democrats who want to fight Trump.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
That's the New York Times Today.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
President AOC question Mark Atalys predicts she's a top twenty
twenty eight contender. That's Newsweek, And that's pointing towards Nate
Silver and his prediction. The crowds tell the story. Sanders
AOC get massive draw to rally in red state. That's MSNBC.
Congresswoman AOC is thirty five years old. She fulfills the
(20:46):
eligibility requirements to become president. In normal times, nobody would
even humor such a conversation. I'm not talking about becoming president.
I'm just talking about becoming the party nominee. But to
devetail on what I was saying last night. Those stop
the Oligarch's rallies were not about the people.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
They weren't about the issues.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
They were about marketing and conducting a focus group for
the party, trying to see what messages resonated with the masses.
And I have to give credit where credit is due
to Wala Sharp and I and our video technical director Daniel.
We're all talking about this before the show, and Tuala
had the correct formulation. There is no reason for Bernie
(21:29):
Sanders and AOC to go out on any quote unquote
concert tour, because that's what it was. It was a
concert tour which included stopping by an actual concert in
the form of Coachella.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
And because of.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
That, Twala thinks, I don't know, but this is what
Tula thinks. He thinks that Bernie is gearing up for
one last run. Mind you, he'd be eighty six when
the next election rolls around. But Twala thinks Bernie's of
the opinion that he and only he can save the Democrats,
which would be weird because he's only a Democrat when
he runs for president. He's an independent any other time,
(22:04):
including right now at this moment, he's an independent. Although
we can't predict what will happen in twenty twenty eight,
and far be it from me to tell the Democrats
what they need to do to get right with America.
But I will say this, if either Senator Bernie Sanders
or Congresswoman Alexandria Cassio Cortez is the Democratic Party's nominee
for president, the Democrats are going to get creamed.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Are you hearing me? Democrats? You are going to.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Get creamed, creamed in an all time sort of beat
down way. I know what Bernie's probably thinking. Bernie's probably thinking,
you tried Hillary, she lost. You tried Kamala, she lost.
Bernie probably thinks he's the only one who can save
the party and has been overlooked for the past nine
years or so. Democrats, your nominee must be someone who
(22:52):
can win, not someone a wing of your party happens
to like a lot.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
And I slow down because I need you to hear me.
Those are very different things.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
You can't piss off twenty percent of your own party
with someone who has really, really liked by only forty
percent of your party and would struggle to pull moderates
or Reagan Democrats. The party as a whole would not
unite behind Bernie ever, he's not even a Democrat. They've
tried it before, and even if they tried again, the
party will not unite behind him. He's an independent and
(23:26):
just caucuses with the party. Well what does that mean, mo,
I'm glad you asked. It means he has never embraced
the party or its platform, except for the benefit the
party affords when running for president, meaning Bernie would get
to be a part of the debates, he would get
access to the party resources, he would have access to
the voter rolls. But the party would not unite behind
(23:47):
Bernie Sanders, and the party would not unite behind AOC
because she is perceived as too far left, not by conservatives,
by even Democrats and liberals. She's too left for the
totality of the party. If the Democrats think that it
can't get any worse, mess around and put either Birdie
(24:07):
or AOC at the top of the ticket. And I
mean every word of that. For k if I am
six forty, I'm Moe Kelly
Later, with Mo'Kelly News
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