John Kerry for VP?

In the "For whatever it's worth" category, Chris Matthews reported on Hardball last night that Kerry's stock is rising as a potential VP for Obama.

I told this to Pam just before we fell asleep last night. She thought that this would be the best thing yet for McCain; I'm not so sure. It could be, but it might also be a smart strategy.

The negatives would all potentially be the same ones that Kerry was burdened with in 2004. The first one that Pam mentioned was Teresa Heinz Kerry, who had a tendency to spout off in weird ways. (Remember the "shove it" admonition to the reporter from the Pittsburgh paper? And am I remembering incorrectly, or did she not strangely greet everyone at the Democrat convention in several different languages to represent how cosmopolitan she was?) Kerry also tends to strike people as aloof and aristocratic, problems with which Obama also struggles himself.

I don't think the Swift Boat vets would re-emerge to great effect. We've been there and done that, and I sense that that force is spent. It is SUCH a different climate than it was in '04.

Which leads me to the strengths Kerry might contribute. There was great fanfare over the fact that George W. Bush was the biggest Presidential vote-getter ever, but who was the second most? Yep; the one Bush beat. There is huge buyer's remorse in this country right now, for better or worse. Kerry might benefit from that.

Also, there would be some novelty in a former Presidential candidate being a vice-presidential running mate. If this has ever happened in our history (I can't think off the bat if it has), it hasn't in well over 100 years.

Obama will already win Massachusetts, with or without Kerry, but Presidential candidates don't ticket balance so much anymore anyway. The last ticket-balancing choice for VP was 1988, when Dukakis chose Lloyd Bentsen from Texas, and a lot of good that did him (though he argued the other day on Hannity & Colmes that he thought it could have had he not allowed Lee Atwater to redefine him).

I doubt it happens anyway, but it is interesting to contemplate. My sense is that Obama's campaign has such a theatrical flair (and little more, if you ask me) that he'll go for more of an unconventional choice. Who would that be? Hmmm....