I don't think there's anything nutty or new age about Buddhism. It's one of the world's great religions. Just because it's not practiced widely in American doesn't make it nutty.
Buddhists don't believe in God. Not a very "great" religion for a Catholic like Kerry to be involved with. I think his stepson is a buddhist, and Terayza is a New-Ager.
I read somewhere recently that Kerry keeps a little buddha statue in his pocket and rubs the tummy for luck.
No, Buddhism is not nutty. However it often becomes nutty when practiced by scattered brained liberals who think by latching onto something mysterious, foriegn and as different as possible from the spirituality that their parents practiced that they are going to get enlightenment.