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Two-time presidental candidate, and two-time Maryland U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes is the current nom du jour the Illinois GOP is tossing about for U.S. Senate candidate.
"It would be a classic race of conservative vs. liberal,'' said state Sen. Dave Syverson, a member of the panel looking for a candidate to go up against Obama. ''It would put this race on the map in this country -- just for excitement.''
Yeah, but that's not really what Syverson and other Republicans are thinking. It's no secret that part of Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Barack Obama's appeal is that not only is he smart and good-looking, he's being propped up to lead the next generation of African-American leaders. What better way to combat that appeal with your own African-American leader?
Keyes has no pretention to the throne once held by Malcom X and Martin Luther King -- and once held somewhat by Chicagoan Jesse Jackson, Sr. But he's a smart guy, speaks well, and has really thought through his conservative stances. In other words, any debate between Obama and Keyes would be lively, interesting, and would have to be taken seriously. And, because of the strange, mysterious ways of American racial politics, Alan Keyes' blackness would take some of the air out of Barack Obama's positioning as America's next Black, progressive leader.
A much better choice than Mike Ditka, Chicagoist thinks.
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The whole state of Illinois and they cannot find a single candidate within its borders? Is the GOP really that desperate that they'd resort to "carpetbagging" and import Keyes to run against Obama? Sad...
Keyes would have a very hard time trying to get vote one beyond the Republican core who will always vote against the Democrat, whoever he is.
If Keyes were from Illinois and knew the territory he might be able to pull more votes but as a Marylander trying to come in and take a Senate seat, he stands very little chance. We don't like carpetbaggers in Illinois. We're not some podunk backwater like New York State, after all.
The debates would be a treat to watch.
No kidding... could the state Republicans be a little more transparent?
Keyes is a hard-religious-right nutjob... ain't no way someone will win a statewide race in Illinois with those views, no matter who they are running against.
The fact that he lives *in Maryland* and has never set foot here except during his sigle-digit-vote getting presidential primary runs will also work against him.
As for vouchey's concluding assertion, Keyes may be less ridiculous than Ditka, but Ditka was polling only ten points down of Obama. Keyes won't get within 25 points of Barack...
Picking Keyes would basically be a concession of the race by the Illinois Republican party, as it would signal there is no one willing to take one on the chin locally against a sure-fire winner like Obama.
I'm not so sure that Keyes is a "nut job". Sure, he's got some pretty extreme views (few of which I agree with), but his brand of conservatism is thoughtful, as opposed to a true nut job, like Bill O'Reilly. Rather than screaming things like "the Mexicans are coming!", Keyes can give a decent (although flawed, I think) arguement that attempts to persuade you, rather than scare you. For that, I think he deserves respect, and makes him way better than Mike Ditka.
I'm still voting for Obama though.
Which is why I said he's "less ridiculous" than Ditka, but he's still in big with the loony wing of the far right.
Does anyone remember his short-lived MSNBC show from a couple years back (I might be one of the dozen or so folks who did... on occasion)? He made comments on that show that even Pat Buchanan would think are batshit-crazy...
I agree with your general principle though, that a Keyes candidacy wouldn't make Illinois a laughingstock like a Ditka candidacy would have...
Has Keyes ever lived in Illinois? How ridiculous.
But in his favor, he did jump into a mosh pit when Michael Moore asked him to during the 2000 presidential campaign.
no, he's never lived here & probably only visited during his failed run in '00.
i read somewhere that he can run as long as he has residence by the election day - pretty f'in lame, if you ask me.