Former Red Sox ace and sock-ruiner Curt Schilling is thinking about running for Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat! Maybe! When he was recently asked if a candidacy was a possibility, Schilling said he’d been contacted about it and he had “some interest.” At the same time, he also wrote on his blog, 38 Pitches, that “many, many things would have to align themselves for that to truly happen,” and he told a local radio show that the “chances of it happening are slim to none.” But since he’s left the door ajar, we can’t help but peek inside. Schilling is a popular sports hero in Massachusetts, but would the state’s overall liberal populace really vote someone of his political leanings into the Senate? His adamant support of John McCain last year probably wouldn’t be too much of a hurdle, but Schilling admits that his support for George. W. Bush’s reelection campaign in 2004 would be “the number one reason” that Bay Staters might not vote for him. But Schilling also doesn’t conform neatly to the “conservative” or “Republican” label. He’s an independent (and would have to run as one), and often says that a politician’s party isn’t important to him. To get a better read on what kind of candidate Schilling would be, we combed through news reports and his blog and picked out clues to his political ideology.
First, his more conservative positions:
•Iraq: A strong supporter of the war, Schilling wrote in January of 2008, that
“ANYONE promising an immediate withdrawal of our armed forces is either
A) A liar trying to get elected to public office
•Abortion: Schilling is a born-again Christian and calls himself pro-life, but adds, “I also think that decision is WAY beyond any one person to control or decide on.” We’re not sure what that means from a policy standpoint.
•Tort Reform: Schilling told the conservative website Newsmax.com that he’s “disgusted … with the litany of lawsuits by every American on the planet against doctors,” and thinks that “frivolous and expensive unfounded lawsuits need to carry MASSIVE penalties for people [filing them] and law firms.”
•Crazy People: Schilling once called Ann Coulter “intelligent in ways that piss so many people off,” and said there’s “something admirable” about the way she speaks her mind.
Now, his more liberal positions:
•Gun Control: Schilling doesn’t understand the need for automatic rifles and supports gun-control laws:
•Taxes: He may feel differently now that he owns his own business, but back in 2007, Schilling wrote of taxes: “Honestly I could care less. I would prefer to pay less in taxes, wouldn’t anyone? But I’ll pay what the government says I have to pay to live here. Less is better but in the end it is what it is.” He’s also said, “If you think I’d vote for a president because his policy is going to lower my taxes you’re stupid.”
•Obama: Though he was a steadfast McCain backer, Schilling also called Barack Obama a “person of unparalleled character.”
And, finally, things everyone can agree on:
• Schilling says he is “all for increased spending for salaries of teachers, police and fireman [sic], I am all for increased salaries of public servants.”
• He also said that “[t]he country should spare no expense to create the most intense, structured and well funded education system in the world.”
