Is Caroline Kennedy a lock?

The New York Post’s Fred Dicker says Caroline Kennedy is a shoo-in. He cites unnamed sources. At least one is described as an also-ran for the seat.

Dicker is pretty reliable for getting the inside dope, but in this case there are a couple of caveats.

First, no one is claiming to actually know Governor Paterson’s mind. They only intuit that it would be politically damaging at this point for him to reject a Kennedy.

The argument here is that it would “greatly embarrass” the Kennedy clan if Paterson pulled a switcheroo.

So what’s Paterson up to with all the talk of a second look?

According to one of Dicker’s sources, “It’s clear David is just trying to play mind games with the press.”

I remain unconvinced.

It’s not entirely clear to me how Kennedy helps Paterson’s re-election bid. And that seems to be a priority for the Governor.

Also, if his goal here is not to embarrass the Kennedy clan, then floating all this indecision is a pretty clumsy way to go about it.

For the record, here’s Governor Paterson himself, as reported by the Albany Times Union:

“I would figure that by this weekend, we would come up with a candidate,” he said. “I would say I’ve narrowed the field, but I . . . don’t seem to stay with the same pick for a period of time. I’ve tried seeing how it works with different scenarios. I just haven’t settled on it yet.”

Paterson later added that he was “focusing in on a few candidates now that I think, in my mind, would be finalists,” but brushed aside accusations that he made up his mind long ago.

“I can say, definitively, I do not know who the next senator from New York is right now,” Paterson said. “I would swear to it.”

The notion that Governor Paterson would hang Ms. Kennedy out there simply to play mind games with reporters — well, it’s a strech.

At the end of this (completely secretive) process, I hope the Governor can lay out his reasons for making the pick.

And I’m holding out hope that his motives will be loftier than Dicker’s article suggests.