Report: Kerry Picked to Play Romney in Debate Prep
President Obama has tapped Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to play Mitt Romney in mock debate rehearsals, according to The Washington Post.
Kerry has firsthand knowledge of Romney's governorship of their home state and has studied his career for nearly 20 years.
Kerry is considered one of the Democratic Party's best debaters, a skill essential to his 2004 bid for the presidency.
“He’s an expert debater who has a fundamental mastery of a wide range of issues, including Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts,” said David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist. “He’s the obvious choice.”
Kerry was a key surrogate for former Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., in his 1994 election against Romney. He was also an early Obama endorser, eschewing his long association with then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to back Obama's 2008 bid, after elevating Obama to the national stage in 2004 by tapping him to deliver the convention keynote address. Since Obama took office, Kerry has been a reliable ally both on Capitol Hill and on sensitive diplomatic assignments abroad.
