Anyone else hear this story on wbur this morning?

[whometense]

The dreaded Boston Herald has it, though for them it's not bad: http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/joe_battenfeld/2013/01/stepping_stone_john_kerry

My instant reaction was one of shock mixed with dread and admiration. He is one tough man.

[Mass]

1. Thank, I had not seen this.

This is Battenfeld, so I kind of doubt it is true, but who knows.

Good to see you around.

[whometense]

4. Thanks! It's been a long time since I last checked in.

I hope you're doing well.

I also just read this: http://daytonatimes.com/2013/01/03/kerry-not-clinton-for-president-in-2016/

Maybe it's a one-day-in-the-spotlight thing, but it's gratifying to read. As was this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022251986
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/01/when-john-kerry-secretary-of-state-1980s-hero

[beachmom]

5. Yeah, it's so nice to see you here, Whometense!

This forum still keeps going and going and going ....

Should be fun watching Kerry as SoS.

[beachmom]

2. Not sure how that would work, because he will need to serve four years as SoS.

The presidential campaign for 2016 will begin in earnest in 2014 where potential candidates help various congressional candidates to earn favors. Plus all the fundraising.

The SoS usually serves through the end of the presidential term. He would need to resign as SoS in '14 if he wanted to run for POTUS again. That just seems highly improbable, and frankly, would be a very bad idea. He needs to focus on THIS job only.

I think the timing is better for Hillary, since she will have time to rest and re-group.

[YvonneCa]

7. Maybe...

...he is open to the VP role, like Biden is doing now. ??? It could be just keeping his options open in case his FP expertise is needed.

[Inuca]

15. My thoughts exactly n/t

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. I was thinking this morning ...

the gop members of the Senate "questioning" Kerry had better hope he gets confirmed ... Cuz if he doesn't, they're gonna have to deal with him for 3 long, revengeful years!

[YvonneCa]

11. True. And...

...too funny!

[1StrongBlackMan]

12. Kind of like ...

cussing out your S/O on the way out the door because you have someone waiting in the wings ... only to have the standby not work out and having to return home.

[gateley]

6. Haha! Wonder if he bumped into Biden glad-handing those Iowans!

I'd love to see Joe (#1), Hillary (#2) OR Kerry at the helm.

I think Joe has truly earned it -- and Hillary, no question. I'd be very happy with Kerry, but I think the other two really deserve their chance to give it a shot. Again.

THEN comes Kerry!

[karynnj]

8. I would doubt it very very much

The timing doesn't work. I can't see him stepping away from SOS early - it would look horrible. In addition a run would work only if he did something exceptional. If he was that successful, his stepping down would be at a cost of doing real good. I don't agree.

Even if the meeting with his Iowa people is true. I take it more as Kerry looking back and remembering those who were important to him. That group in Iowa backed someone no one thought would be the winner and, had the election been fair, it would have ended up in the WH. The Boston Globe mentioned that the day he was nominated (unofficially) by Obama they spoke of him going to the grave of his friend who died in Vietnam. His speech today looked back at growing up in a foreign service family and of the Senate.

Hillary and Joe are better positioned, but I really suspect that someone else will be the nominee. I suspect that 4 years down the road, they might not run.

[whometense]

9. I agree.

The timing is awful, and I can't imagine JK stepping down early from SOS.

I actually kind of hope there may be a new face emerging further down the road.

[JI7]

10. he wouldn't take the SOS job if he was seriously considering another run

considering all the crap you have to do for a presidential run, and the SOS job being what it is with less focus on partisan politics it just wouldn't make sense. he would be far behind others who would be free to campaign and raise money .

this is one reason why Hillary is not staying on for the job. whether or not she runs for president again she knows she needed to leave the SOS position if she did decide to run.

[MBS]

13. most pertinent line from the hearings..

from Elizabeth Warren's introduction of Senator-soon-to-be-Secretary Kerry (I may not have the quote 100% correct; I scrawled this down as I listened)

If anyone wants to learn diplomacy, come try Massachusetts politics

about 12 1/2 minutes into tape
http://www.c-span.org/Events/Confirmation-Hearing-for-Sen-John-Kerry-as-Secretary-of-State/10737437516/

She sure got THAT right!
Surviving 40+ years of Massachusetts politics is surely one of his most towering achievements Truly, he's now ready for anything!

Welcome back, whome! I've missed you!!

[wisteria]

14. I would think that he might want to see a Dem win again in 2016,

so that he could continue to be SOS for another 4 years.

[karynnj]

17. I would think that after 4 years, at age 73 (with Teresa at 78), he might want to

be an elder statesman and write a book on foreign policy.

I love when he speaks of foreign policy and how you need to listen to what the other side is saying. This seems almost a lost art and I don't see how you can help any situation without doing so. In the NYT magazine article on Kerry as a diplomat, there was one quote from Pakistani sources that he was the only American who spoke to them as equals. This is pretty sad for American diplomacy, but shows why his leadership could really create what many American have spoken of - a humble foreign policy.

[wisteria]

24. Possibly, but he is a young 73. It might depend on how much he accomplishes in four years.

If he decides t retire, it would be a well deserved retirement and a distinguished career.

[karynnj]

25. Agree on both counts - he certainly does not look 69 now

It will be interesting to see what he does as SOS. I would not be surprised if he kept a low profile as he works to try to help make things better.

[Mass]

16. Something we will not miss is the attacks by the MA on a good Democrat.

Clearly, if Markey becomes senator, he will receive the Kerry treatment.

BMG has already started to attack him because he has not started a website (for what exactly, given that the vote has not yet happened and that Kerry is still senator).

and a push poll, which is clearly intended to get Brown to get into the race (400 registered voters, 1/3 in Western/Central MA? really, when 4/5 of the state lives in Eastern MA) is shown as proof.

BTW, after an election where people were pushed out of the primary without any protest from the base, it becomes all of a sudden urgent to have a primary? Really? For a 5 month election?

I guess we do not have to worry about the stupidity of some MA Democrats. (or may be lefties are behind Lynch, who knows?)

Sorry, I know it is OT, but I needed to vent.

[karynnj]

18. I've noticed that when I've looked over there and don't understand it

but I never understood how little they valued Kerry. For her sake, I hope Warren can keep them happy.

Glad to hear that the poll seems to have odd demographics. Could they have created demographics that match the special election 2010? I vaguely remember that the Boston area had very low turnout relative to the rest of the state.

[Mass]

19. No. Massinc is a poor pollster in general and RW one as well.

Menino did not get people out to vote for Coakley, but there were not 1/3 of the vote coming from Western/Central MA. The vote was coming from the Eastern part of the State, which is Brown's territory.

Not trying to say it will be an easy battle, but it will be worse if we start thinking we are losing.

What I think is that the GOP is starting to be worried that Brown is not running, and trying to get him to run. I am sure you have seen the totally incoherent Twitter thread from last night at this point. He also hung up on the Boston Globe asking if he would run. He does not behave as somebody who wants to run.

Also, here is a poll from 2011 that is eerily similar to this one. Polling people in a race that has not started.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/poll-scott-brown-in-great-shape-heading-into-2012-reelection-campaign.php

Interestingly, the GOP papers are pushing Lynch, that they probably see as a candidate closer to Brown.

[karynnj]

20. I have seen his utterly strange facebook posts

I didn't see the twitter one. I didn't hear that he hung up on the BG - which is strange as they have treated him with kid gloves when he was in the Senate. I still can't believe that they ignored strange incoherent speeches on the Senate floor, where all he had to do was read things his staff wrote if he couldn't do it himself.

[Mass]

21. Here, as he seems to have deleted them today.

http://www.boston.com/news/source/2013/01/scott_browns_late_night_tweets_draw_attention.html

[karynnj]

22. Strange - and not good for him the BG wrote it up -

I wonder if it will be in the print edition.

He really seems to be losing it - but that seemed the case at points in the Senate when everything was good - at least on the surface. He really seemed to have gotten drunk.

His misspelling is the top trending thing on twitter.

[karynnj]

23. The BG now has an article which - like you - questions if he will run

It looks like he is looking for something in the private sector - possibly because he wants a break from politics. (Which has to be silly as I doubt he can come back in and be elected to anything close to his delusions of grandeur if he doesn't run now.) They quote his Finance chair who says he has not heard from him since November.

Could the twitter and facebook nonsense be Brown's way to make it impossible to run?

[Th1onein]

26. I think he will be too old by the time he serves his term as SOS. nt

[MADem]

28. Hard to believe he will be seventy next December. He's pretty fit, though. nt

[Th1onein]

30. Yeah, I know, but I don't want to take any chances.

The Thugs have already gerrymandered themselves into keeping the House, and if we have another Thug president like Bush, this country is doomed. I hope Americans know what is at stake, and the PTB choose well in terms of a candidate in the next presidential election.

[MADem]

27. It's all down to what Clinton wants to do, I think.

I think it's not impossible that he's idly mentioned the possibility, depending on the climate in four years.

I think, though, if Clinton wants to run, it's a bit difficult to stand in the way of history, particularly if she can hang on to her "favorables."

Time will tell, though--it always does!

[karynnj]

29. Agree completely - and would add Biden as well

Even if both these people bowed out, I doubt he could or would run because I don't think he would think it right to drop the work that he would be doing. Oddly, the MORE successful he is, the more important it would be to continue. As long as he was SOS, he could not campaign or raise money.

The other factor is Teresa, who looked great at the hearing, is 5 years older than he is. When he dropped out and they started the book tour for THIS MOMENT ON EARTH, she was asked if she was disappointed there would be no run. After emphasizing that she was 100% behind him running, she spoke of how grueling the campaigns are.

[MADem]

31. I would like to see Clinton as POTUS and Biden as SECSTATE.

Biden always wanted that job--he really is a fantastic foreign policy wonk. He's also so damn cheerful that he can make the most dour negotiations more pleasant.

For VP, I would like to see a smart, sharp up-n-comer with not too much stink on 'em--they can make their "record" during eight years at the Naval Observatory!