Stephen A Smith says political discussions have increased his audience

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In recent years, Stephen A. Smith has been more outspoken about politics.

He typically steers away from discussing politics on ESPN, but has not been afraid to weigh in on his own podcast and other outlets.

Taking one side of a political argument may come at a cost, but Smith actually believes that his political discussions have increased his audience.

When asked by a listener if he felt speaking about politics could deter his popularity, he said he did not “worry about it.”

“First, it’s politics, it’s not sports. Secondly, I don’t bring it to ESPN. Thirdly and most importantly, I think it’s important to remember that I’m a reasonable human being,” Smith began. “What I do when I’m talking politics is what I do when I’m doing everything. I let you know how I feel and where I stand based on the facts that I have presented to me. But I’m open-minded to be corrected, which means I’m willing to engage in dialogue. And I’m willing to talk with people and hear what they have to say.”

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Smith said that his open-mindedness “encourages people” to do the same and give his thoughts a listen.

“I’m not one of those dogged, rabid ideologues that’s stuck on one position, and I’m not moving, and I don’t give a damn how anybody else feels … that’s not how I am,” Smith continued. “All I’m doing is I research my information, I tell you what I learned, what I know, what I think I know. I articulate those thoughts to you from the honesty and the heartfelt position that I come from, and then I let the chips fall where they may.

“When you have that attitude, it encourages people, it doesn’t turn them off, because you’re willing to say what you feel… That contributes to making the world a better place.”