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Odds of Mark Cuban Declaring Himself a Candidate for 2020 Presidential Election Set at +500

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in Politics News

Updated Mar 26, 2020 · 10:49 AM PDT

Mark Cuban talking at a conference
Is Mark Cuban still thinking about a Presidential run in 2020? Photo by Gage Skidmore (Flickr) [CC License].
  • Joe Biden continues to make sloppy mistakes on the campaign trail
  • Biden still leads in the polls but Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are closing the gap
  • Kamala Harris has faded after the second debate

Democrats in the United States are a little bit nervous. Although we’re still over a year away from the 2020 Presidential Election, the current crop of candidates are struggling. That’s paved the wave for Mark Cuban to potentially hop into the race.

Sportsbooks have odds on that happening. Is there value here?

Will Mark Cuban Declare Himself a Candidate for the 2020 U.S. Election?

Outcome Odds
Yes +500
No -1000

Current Candidates Have Issues

What’s opened the door for Cuban to consider a run in 2020 is that the current wave of candidates aren’t doing very well. Sure, there’s lots of them but they all have flaws. Former Vice President Joe Biden is leading the polls despite being a non-stop gaffe-machine. He’s not exactly an inspiring candidate; he’s just someone with name recognition.

As for members of the party who are further to the left – Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren – both have gained on Biden and pulled even in some polls. However, both struggle with the black vote, garnering less than 1%. That’s a problem. Both also struggle with moderates within their own party too.

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Looking further down the list, Kamala Harris got a small bump after the first debate and then slipped up at the second one. She’s polling at about 7% nationally. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke and Cory Booker are all below that mark as none of them seem to be viewed as serious contenders.

Will Cuban Get Involved?

The challenge for Cuban is that it’s starting to get late. He’s a brand name but as we’ve come to learn in this race, it takes more than just that. Where does Cuban stand on China? What about his foreign policy with North Korea and Iran? And what is his stance on gun control and healthcare?

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We know that Cuban is a strong businessman but that’s mostly all we know. Generally speaking, his profile is fairly positive in the public spotlight but stepping into politics is a whole other animal. He’s going to be criticized for every move he makes and he’ll be scrutinized like never before.

Right now, he’s the lovable owner of the Dallas Mavericks and has a fun role on NBC’s Shark Tank, but once he starts taking positions that half the country likes and half of it doesn’t, his life will directly be impacted. The question is: does this billionaire, who lives a fairly cushy life, want to jeopardize what he has for a shot at the White House?

2024 Run Is More Realistic

Trump definitely carved out his own path, going from business mogul and celebrity to finding his way to the White House. That’s why you have someone like Cuban considering as he can see a way to the finish line. However, I think a run in 2024 makes more sense. If Cuban truly wants to run, he should map out a five-year plan to get there.

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The challenge is that as long as the economy stays strong, Trump is going to win the White House in 2020. Biden won’t be able to go toe-to-toe – if he even wins the nomination – while Sanders and Warren are too far left. A lot of moderates might be nervous to vote for change if the economy is going well – even as detestable as Trump can be.

On the other hand, Cuban could step in and say “Look, I’ll keep the economy going but we’ll have someone much more palatable as President”. As of right now, there’s no one candidate that’s uniting the Democratic Party and inspiring everyone – like Barack Obama once did. That means the door is wide open.

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At the same time, I don’t see Cuban as being the guy. He’s never really been in politics and that’s why I don’t expect a run here. Another Billionaire like former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg makes much more sense. Cuban is better off waiting until 2020, so I would bet on the ‘No’ with this prop.

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