The American Spectator reports Kerry's shopping around for a diocese that will deny him communion, so he can try to triangulate off of his own Church.
What does he stand to gain from this ?
The Presidency, he thinks.
Such a thing, caught on tape, would be played out in a very long media cycle about how backward and reactionary the Church and right wingers are. It would be portrayed as a hateful move, as a violation of Church and state, etc.
Kerry would look like a hero to certain elements for standing up to the big bully Church.
Among nominal Catholics, even practicing ones with "progressive" views, he would cement his support. There are those who think the Church is evil and reactionary and if only the next Pope is a good guy, they'll have birth control and women priests and gay marriage and all of that approved.
Of course, among these Catholics he'd have their support anyway, but this would be a show of solidarity.
The ethnic, union Catholics might be upset by the challenge to the Church, but what are they going to do? Vote for the Republican? Why, Republicans are only interested in the rich, not the little guy. That mentality persists, at least in the rust belt.
And to Protestants, they get an even stronger assurance, like the original JFK, that Kerry is not going to be a puppet of the Pope.
Agnostics or other non-religous folks will also get a kick out of this "maverick" guy, determined to fight for our rights no matter what some priest might tell him.
SD