Kerry, Weld and the way back machine

A number of you seem to be from Massachusetts. I vaguely remember the Kerry/Weld battle as being hard fought, that Kerry fought dirty, and that I (from NYC at the time) was half rooting for Weld to win. This was of course before Bush and the Republican disaster.

Curious. How did you guys feel about Weld? Knowing what you know now, would he have been a better senator than Kerry? Would we be spared Kerry's quest for the White House? I assume he would have been part of the New England cabal (Chaffee, Snowe, Collins, Jeffords), but then again these days, even a moderate Republican is a Republican. I'm just curious about what people have to say.