Schilling for Senate

The Boston Herald notes that the idea of Curt Schilling for Senate is very popular on conservative talk radio in Massachusetts. However, Schilling isn't as sure that he's interested:

WRKO also put up an online petition yesterday asking people to choose between Schilling and Kerry. As of yesterday evening 800 votes had been cast and Schilling was leading by 96 percent.

Feinberg said he wants to build a real campaign around Schilling and will present him with the results of the online poll.

But Schilling may doesn’t feel he’s a good match for Capitol Hill.

“While I am a registered voter, I have too many problems with the political scene, and I don’t think I’d fit into it,” he said.

Schilling, who is planning to retire from baseball after this season, did give a glimpse of what he would do in a political office. His first task would be to “fire everybody and anybody who had anything to do with the Big Dig,” he said.

Schilling said in 2008 he’ll vote either for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), whom he called a personal friend, or Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). “If they are both on the ticket it will be a tough choice,” he said.

Schilling is likely to be as strong as any other Republican candidate in Massachusetts, and probably stronger than many. But if he wants to pursue a political career, he'd probably be tempted to return to Arizona. He was born in the West (Alaska), went to college in Arizona, and is a hero in Arizona for pitching the Diamondbacks to the World Series. Plus, a Republican has a lot stronger future in politics in Arizona than in Massachusetts.

But Schilling does seem the type to take his own counsel, so who knows what he'll decide. And he sure would make a nice contrast with Kerry, wouldn't he?

And on another note, it is endlessly fascinating to me that so many athletes-turned-politician wind up being Republicans. Heath Shuler is probably the only Democratic former athlete I can think of right now (with Bill Bradley and Tom McMillen being the only others of recent vintage). On the other side, you have John Elway, Steve Young, JC Watts, Jim Bunning, Phil McConkey, Darrell Waltrip and Earl Monroe among the athletes who have sought office as Republicans, or considered it. And that's only off the top of my head. I am sure there are many others.