Keller @ Large: Scouting Report On Curt Schilling's Political Chances
BOSTON (CBS) - World Series hero Curt Schilling says he's eyeing a new title - congressman. But is it just more hot air from a man known for his hot takes?
Schilling is best known for his bloody sock playoff heroics. But it appears his new game plan involves waving the bloody shirt of immigration backlash.
In a statement to the Arizona Republic, Schilling writes: "[Arizona] is not the state I grew up in…. When you have homeless veterans [and] children, and you're spending tax dollars on people smuggling drugs and children across our border, someone in charge needs their --- kicked."
There was instant approval from the president, who tweeted: "Curt Schilling, a great pitcher and patriot, is considering a run for Congress in Arizona. Terrific!"
But as Schilling notes, Arizona has changed, with urban sprawl and the migration of more liberal voters turning the state from red to purple, a key to the Senate win of Democrat Kirsten Synema last fall.
And Schilling has baggage. The anti-Muslim tweet that got him suspended from his plum gig at ESPN, and the Facebook post insulting transgendered people that got him fired, for starters, plus any number of incendiary online remarks.
"If he's going to repeat some of those words, that language does place him a little bit outside of the mainstream here," says Jeremy Duda, associate editor at the Arizona Mirror.
And then there's the 38 Studios video game debacle, where Schilling squandered millions in taxpayer subsidies.
"In a Republican primary that's an issue any opponent would probably use against him," says Duda. "Taking government handouts for a private company is certainly not a popular issue among Republicans and I would imagine his opponents would use that."
Schilling would return to Arizona with strong name recognition as a hero of the state's lone pro sports title, the Diamonbacks' 2001 World Series win. But this is the fourth different office he has talked about running for, and none of the previous three turned out to be anything more than talk.