Curt Schilling for Senate? Um...No

Former major league pitcher Curt Schilling, who helped the Boston Red Sox win its first championship in 86 years, wrote on his blog that he’s considering running for the U.S. Senate to fill the vacant seat in Massachusetts previously held by Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Ok....

This is the same Senate seat that was John F. Kennedy's before he left for the Presidency and his brother has sat in it ever since. That's the biggest Democratic family in the history of our country. And Curt Schilling's political allegiance? Well Yahoo! Sports says it best:

Kennedy was a liberal lion and, as MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said last night about Schilling, "the big righty is a big Righty." He made appearances for George W. Bush during his re-election campaign and he also tried to help John McCain get elected last fall.

So poor freshly buried Teddy already has an opportunity to turn in his grave already.

The biggest problem for Schilling running as a Republican? Well, he technically can't run as one. He's registered as an Independent and Politico points out that he doesn't have enough time to be eligible to run as a Republican (although NY Magazine points out he's not all that conservative in the end, so maybe Independent would suit him well). Deadspin also thinks he tried to put the moves on Cindy McCain so that wouldn't bode well for his Republican support.

And although his Major League career compares very well to former Major Leaguer and Senator, Jim Bunning, The Boston Globe points out that their educational differences are a bit far apart: "Bunning earned a degree in economics from Xavier and Schilling attended Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz."

Wonkette breaks down his candidacy pretty well:

Curt Schilling, world champion quarterback for Boston’s “Mighty Ducks,” loves George W. Bush and jacking off in bloodstained sock, so he is qualified to be the Republican candidate. Schilling, heir to his family’s spice fortune, joins a crowded Republican field that includes former Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey and pretty much nobody else.

Schilling’s main credential? He’s pretty fat! Given time, he could become as fat as the late Ted Kennedy, although there’s absolutely zero chance of Schilling becoming smart.

I think, for the first time in a while (maybe since that whole closing experiment), Schilling may be way out of his league. The fact is that he's not even that well-liked in Massachusetts; out of all the members of that 2004 "reverse the curse" team, I think he has to be close to last on the list of "likability" with Doug Mientkiewicz, especially after he basically took a nice sized contract from the team in 2008 and didn't pitch. "Everyone in Mass knows he's a Republican blowhard...and that's just the type of person that people in Mass hate," said one Massachusetts resident I asked about the possibility of Schilling running.

And how do some of his teammates feel about his run (from the Boston Globe article):

• “He would be good at filibustering,’’ wrote Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein
• Asked what he would bring to the Senate, Dustin Pedroia said, “A big appetite.’’
• From a Sox personnel member: “He’d have to lose a few pounds to go on TV, wouldn’t he?’’
• Others had pretty good one-liners like, “Will he wear a Ben Roethlisberger jersey in the Senate chamber when he’s making a speech?’’
• Another player said, “But in the Senate you have to compromise, don’t you?’’
• When asked about it, Kevin Youkilis said, “Are you guys serious?"
• His platform?“Free pizza for every American,’’ kidded one veteran player.

And, oh yeah, he's already had his turn in front of Congress. How did he do according to Joel Sherman: "I don't know about Curt Schilling in the U.S. Senate. After all, in his big shot before Congress in March 2005, Schilling turned uncharacteristically quiet. If that was an audition, consider it failed. But hey if he wants to continue a high-profile career, I do have this idea: A comeback in the National League"

He also has a penchant for flip-floping, like when he railed against McGwire and Bonds for steroids and then thought his buddy Big Papi should get a reprieve. I think that flip-flopping is what allowed his pal George W. Bush to take down John Kerry in 2004.

So let's get this straight: Curt Schilling is running against the biggest Democrat in the Senate as an Independent Republican, has a weak educational background, supported Dubya and McCain, is not even well-liked in Massachusetts, can't even be taken seriously by his own teammates as a political figure, failed in his first audition before congress, and has a reputation for flip-flopping. That's a lot to overcome and no [HGH-injected, red-painted] ankle heroics proves he'll be able to beat those odds.