Your analysis makes sense. There's a major disconnect with the press. It was always a pipe dream that McCain would ever accept the nomination, even if Kerry genuinely did want to offer it to him, but the press will try their hardest not to let it die. It's quite a bit worse than all the Hillary speculation was, and that's saying a lot. Since the Kerry camp knows that there are plenty of media people who will want to blame them for not getting McCain on the ticket, even though those same media types know very well that McCain would never do it, it makes sense for the Kerry people to get it out there as much as they can right now. Even if it does run a slight risk of making them look desperate, it's probably the better strategy in the long-run.

Until you see a reliable name attached to a story, you have assume it's completely made up. That's the media climate we live in. Especially if a "leaked" story potentially embarrasses the Democratic candidate.

Assuming that this is the way the leak happened and I believe it makes sense, this gives me a more positive opinion of the Kerry campaign.
They are obviously on top of things and thinking well ahead and that bodes well for the Nov election.
PEACE!
ABB&B;!!!

That explanation also makes sense given the timing of the leak: with all the media lights centered on Reagan, there's been little time for belittling Kerry for being rejected (no doubt the preferred BC'04 spin).

I still don't get it -- wouldn't this ultimately reflect poorly on the eventual VP choice.
Doesn't this send a message that whoever gets picked was a second-choice and who wants to be looked upon as second-best. If the VP choice is Edwards (or whoever), won't Matthews and Wolf and Company keep harping that Kerry "really wanted McCain" but settled for Edwards?

There's that angle as well, kathyp, but we have to remember that the media is openly rooting for McCain to be on the ticket. The whole story has been almost entirely a media concoction from the beginning, since there's never been any substantive reason to think that McCain would do it. Since they're so desperate to make it into a story, I don't think Kerry has the luxury of ignoring it. If the story becomes "he didn't really want Edwards, it's just because McCain said no," then I don't see how that really damages Kerry with the public. But if it's "why didn't he ask McCain, he could have united the country, he's just a partisan GOP hater," then I could see some harm being done. No voter really gives a shit about whatever dynamic exists between a candidate and his VP nominee, but you're taking a risk if it's something that can rub off badly on the candidate himself.

Huh? This is all press-driven?

John F. Kerry had more than half a dozen conversations with Sen. John McCain about the prospect of him joining the Democratic presidential ticket, but the Arizona Republican repeatedly told his longtime friend that he was not interested...

Which came first, the press or John Kerry?

Who's this "everyone"? Why does anyone want this pro-life Republican on Kerry's ticket? We don't need him. Kerry's going to win this unless he's caught doing it with a goat or something. This just makes him look pathetic. There are dozens of Democrat candidates who would be fine. If McCain wants to renounce the Repugs and come over to the Dem side, that would be one thing. But until then, he is a person backing things he doesn't believe in, and siding with people he knows full well are completely and totally wrong about what they're doing. Why the hell would we want to burden our ticket with that?

Of course, the only other minor pitfall for Kerry that Ezra seems to miss might be that notion that desperately seeking Republicans makes it seem as if the Democratic Party stands for nothing.

Of course, in Kerry's case we know that he and his supporters stand foursquare in favor of winning; so that's not a problem. They've demonstrated that they don't intend to be tied down by anything as insignificant as standing for something.

I congratulate John Kerry and his deft touch, he managed to turn me off and I've never voted for anything but a Democrat. That's quite an accomplishment.

Most of my primary candidates have gone down in flames… Your Paul Simons, your Tom Harkins, your Howard Deans… This is the first time the eventual nominee took a crap on me though.

Marvelous.

if kerry can't get a republican to be his running mate, i guess the next best thing would be to appoint a corrupt veteran of the government/corporate revolving door system to pick a running mate for him. that person would then pick himself. that would be the responsible thing to do.

If this is what happened, and why, it certainly implies that Kerry will not be announcing his running mate any time soon.

Evidence supporting the theory that Kerry wanted this to get out (in addition to that suggested by Ezra):

--A history of "open mike" comments that have played very well.

--Getting this out there reminds voters why McCain might consider it (Bush's sleezy '00 campaign).

--Reminds voters why McCain and Kerry are friends (war hero thing).

--All why not actually offering the position or actually being turned down.

I like it.

I, for one, thought the whole thing was brilliantly done, stem to stern. Ezra's right on.

Kerry is a Skull and Bones.
Bush is a Skull and Bones.

Kerry is rich.
Bush is rich.

Neither is a good choice for middle-amurca.

Of the 2, kerry at least is leaning towards progressivity (being a democrat by name)

McCain!?

hes a right-flinger!
he hasn't bitched about abu ghraib - even when he himself was humiliated and tortured as a POW in 'nam.