Full Name: John Forbes Kerry

Current Office: U.S. Senator, Massachusetts (fourth term)

Born: Aurora, Colorado, on December 11, 1943.

Education: Yale University (1966); Boston College Law School (1976)

Religion: Roman Catholic

Family: Married to Teresa Heinz Kerry; he has two daughters (Alexandria and Vanessa) from a previous marriage

Significant Career Experience:

U.S. Senator, Massachusetts, 1985-present
Lieutenant Governor, Massachusetts, 1983-1984
First Assistant District Attorney, 1977-1979
Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress, Massachusetts, 1972
Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, 1966-1970; awarded Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts

Publications:

A Call to Service: My Vision for a Better America (2003)


They say running for President is like an itch that never goes away. For John Kerry, whose career in the public eye began just after he returned from service in Vietnam over 30 years ago, 2008 may be his opportunity to take one last scratch. With universal name recognition, the wisdom gained from running once before, demonstrated success in Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, and proven fundraising ability, Kerry is well positioned to make a solid run in 2008.

Since the 2004 election, John Kerry has maintained a visible presence on the national scene, unlike Al Gore, who backed out of the spotlight for over a year following his 2000 defeat. Through his leadership PAC, Kerry has used the e-mail list gathered from his presidential campaign—record-breaking in size—to communicate with supporters on a host of issues, from healthcare to education to supporting the constitutional right to filibuster. These e-mails often contain a call to action, such as donating or contacting local lawmakers, which keep the Democratic faithful used to an active stance from him.

Kerry has also done what many criticized him for not doing in his presidential campaign: being a strong voice for the left of the Democratic party. This was most evident when Kerry led the charge to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. While many Democrats saw the move as futile, Kerry took a principled—if ultimately losing—stand against Alito, earning accolades from many in the Democratic base and many liberal interest groups.

Kerry has also used the surplus money from his campaign to help Democrats nationwide, blunting early criticism that he should have spent all of it in the presidential contest. He donated a large sum to the DNC and other party committees, and used his profile to help raise funds for Democratic candidates and causes. Heading into the 2006 elections, look for Kerry to continue to use his profile and campaign cash to endear himself with the party faithful, especially in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire, where Kerry’s PAC already has staff members assisting local candidates.

Heading into 2008, Kerry will have to convince voters why he deserves another look, considering many felt Kerry ran a less than exceptional campaign in 2004. It is unclear how much primary voters will want to leave Kerry in the past, or if they’ll see his 2004 race as preparation for another run—this time at an open seat.

Like Bob Dole and Al Gore before him, Kerry benefits from an increased candor and general likeability that tends to come with being on the losing end of a presidential election. With Kerry sometimes appearing wooden and suffering from acute Senate-itus (a condition that causes one to take ten minutes to make a ten-second point), he would benefit from incorporating a more liberated campaign style.

If he chooses to run, John Kerry will bring the biggest e-mail list, deepest fundraising list, and one of the most vetted backgrounds and voting records. In 2004, he almost unseated an incumbent President. In 2008, with an open seat, he’s a candidate with tremendous potential—if Democrats want to live with him for another campaign, that is.