To me the bottom line is this. Kerry has one immense problem. "Hillary". She can't let him win and be able to run in 2006 as he would be the encumbent. She can't wait for 2008. If he takes her on as VP he had better be current on his life insurance (political and actual). If she waits for 2008 Guilianni could take her out as senator in 2006. She shot a major shot across his bow today when she and Bill told Kerry to leave McAwfull alone in his job. Kerry does not have a bright future.
She know's Bush is virtually unbeatable or less she would have made the race. Some bring up the analogy of Hillary being '92's Cuomo. Mario blew it off thinking that GHB was a shoe-in, allowing unknown WJC to waltz into a nomination that was Cuomo's for the taking. TOTALLY DIFFERENT DYNAMIC. Without Perot in the mix at 20%, GHB would have beaten Clinton handily. Probably about 54/46. With no big name "spoiler" on board this year the Dem's are a loser. Hillary knows it, Gore knows it, as well as a slew of lesser known Dems who would have been more attractive candidates than Kerry.
Kerry is in the spot of having to face Bush in front and cover his rear from Hillary. He is the potential nominee but he doesn't control very much of the party machinery. As Rush said there is someone out there on a grassy knoll knocking off these leading dems one at a time and it isn't the repubs.