Is John Kerry the New Comeback Kid?

It’s the biggest guessing game in town: Who will Barack Obama choose as his running mate? He has to end the suspense this week.

My pick is Hillary Clinton. She’d be the strongest vice presidential candidate, hands down. Much stronger than Tim Kaine, Evan Bayh, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson or any of the others most often mentioned as possible candidates.

But now, at the last minute, another name has surfaced. Somebody that nobody’s even talked about before. Reportedly already vetted and on Obama’s shortest of lists: Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

With all due respect to John Kerry, I hope that’s just a wild rumor.

Look, John Kerry’s a great senator. Like John McCain, he’s also a decorated war hero. He has years of experience in the Senate on foreign policy and national security issues. And, as the Democratic nominee for president in 2004, he polled more votes than any other Democrat in history.

That’s Kerry’s greatest strength, but it’s also his greatest weakness. Kerry didn’t win that race in 2004, a race he should have won. Fairly or not, because of that, he will always be clouded by the shadow of defeat.

The last thing Barack Obama needs to win in 2008 is to be partnered with the man who lost in 2004.

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