New GOP Contender In Illinois

[DFW HOYA]

Sure, Obama is still going to win, but you could charge money to watch these debates:

www.hoinews.com/news/headlines/911952.html

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Now, if Keyes could just explain why he "deeply resent[ed] the destruction of federalism" represented by Hillary Clinton's 2000 run for the NY Senate seat, which he "certainly wouldn't imitate," but is perfectly willing to accept the Republican nomination before even relocating to Illinois...

If Keyes breaks 35% of the vote, I think it will be a testament to his skill as a candidate (and/or the fact that there's a solid % of voters in Illinois who are just plain blindly partisan). I mean, what commends someone to vote for a candidate who was twice rejected by the people of his own state for the same office?

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DFW said:

you could charge money to watch these debates

I don't know if I'd pay money to watch Keyes implode, although I will agree that he does so in spectacular fashion. Here's his latest effort:

Expressing support for a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would ban same-sex marriage — an issue that the vice president has said is best left to the states to legislate, Keyes said: "The essence of … family life remains procreation. If we embrace homosexuality as a proper basis for marriage, we are saying that it's possible to have a marriage state that in principle excludes procreation and is based simply on the premise of selfish hedonism."

Asked whether that meant Mary Cheney was "a selfish hedonist," Keyes said: "That goes by definition. Of course she is."

www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-keyes1sep01,1,7083990.story?coll=la-news-politics-national

You can't make this stuff up.

[Penarol1916]

Oh the guy is worse than imploding in Illinois, the head of the Illinois Republican Party has been on all of the Chicago nightly news programs to emphasize that she had no vote in the committee that selected Keyes and that Keyes has no use for the Illinois Republican party. The woman just announced that she was resigning as head of the party in the state. Then yesterday Keyes went crazy because a reporter asked him about the division in the Republican Party in the state over him and he went off talking about how the media is just a tool of the Democratic party and they should be asking him questions about how abortion is akin to slavery rather than why he supports a return to Senate elections by the State Legislatures and his carpetbagging comments, and how he has divided the Republican party in the state.

The funniest part of this exchange is the fact that it was with a columnist from the Chicago Tribune, one of the most Republican dailies in the country and a paper that is currently waging a war with Mayor Daley.

[1803]

The state GOP should have just taken their beating, getting someone from Congress or a State Senator to walk the plank. That person at least could have gotten some name ID, and maybe been groomed for the future.

They were obviously desperate after Ryan had to withdraw due to his divorce papers, but conservative voters do not like these kinds of shenanigans pulling in people from out of state.

[Penarol1916]

Their first choice was a pretty popular state Senator who finished 3rd in the Republican primary with no money, but he didn't want to lose, then they went with two popular former governors, the Ditka fiasco, apperantly another famous former athlete, and some other poiticians, Dennis Hastert referred to Keyes as the 5th string candidate, I personally think his campaign is some kind of conspiracy to get Obama over 75% of the vote.

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Apparently now even former Gov. Jim Thompson (R) is publicly proclaiming that the Illinois GOP made a mistake in tabbing Keyes.

Ouch.

[jerseyhoya34]

showcase said:

I don't know if I'd pay money to watch Keyes implode, although I will agree that he does so in spectacular fashion. Here's his latest effort:


www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-keyes1sep01,1,7083990.story?coll=la-news-politics-national

You can't make this stuff up.

Keyes was asked to clarify these comments on the following day, and he did so. Unfortunately I don't have a link, but among the highlights was a comment that if Mary Cheney were his daughter, he'd tell her that she is a sinner and should pray to God for his forgiveness.

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And the hits just keep on coming...

According to a list of quotes put out by the Democratic candidate, Keyes said in a radio interview at the Republican National Convention that Jesus would not vote for Obama. The quote was part of a list Obama sent reporters of Keyes' accusations and epithets about him since Keyes became a candidate, NBC5 political editor Dick Kay said.

Kay also reported that Keyes called Obama a "socialist and a liar" on a cable access news show on Monday. Obama said he wants to win big to give Keyes a spanking because Keyes wages a scorched earth campaign. Keyes then went into a very long analysis of the word "spanking" and suggested it might be related to slavery and insulting to African- Americans. He would not answer when asked directly if he was insulted.

www.nbc5.com/politics/3712293/detail.html

Something tells me Keyes may not be as close to having his finger on the Divine Pulse as he might believe...

I seriously think someone should pull the plug on this guy, because he's bad for the Illinois GOP. I don't share much of its platform, but I'd like the prospect of spirited campaigns focusing on the issues in my home state's future, and Keyes appears to be singlehandedly destroying any shred of credibility the Illinois GOP would hope to maintain for the foreseeable future. Illinois is by no means a GOP stronghold, but Keyes appears hell-bent on insuring it never will be.

[Cambridge]

Has any plan backfired more obsurdly than this one? I mean what was the party logic...

"Hey guys, the Dems are running this charismatic, young visionary for senate...and get this he happens to be [gasp] black."

"Damn them always playing the PC card, but we'll show them we can beat them at their own game. Quick call Alan Keyes...that'll show em we're just as diverse as they are...yes...that'll show 'em."

I saw Keyes make a primary speech at Phillips Exeter back in '96. I have never seen someone get torn apart so badly by a bunch of high school kids. He is totally insane. By the end of the question and answer period he was yelling that we would all go to hell. Surreal. Totally surreal. But pretty funny in retrospect.

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As the electoral season draws to a close, we can now safely say that few, if any, were actually willing to pay to see a debate involving Keyes. The Illinois candidates for Senate just faced off in their second debate, which was televised only in the Chicago area:

www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0410220071oct22,1,7955094.story?coll=chi-homepagenews-utl

The biting and intensely personal tone stood in stark contrast to the first head-to-head meeting between the two last week, a polite, issue-oriented faceoff that aired only on statewide radio. The debate Thursday, televised across much of the state, had the potential for a much larger audience.

Among some of the more compelling exchanges were these...

Keyes, a former diplomat and talk-show host, accused Obama, a state senator and college lecturer, of "breathtaking naivete" by criticizing the Iraq war. Obama said Keyes resorted to "overblown rhetoric" in his frequent criticisms of homosexuals and women who get abortions.

Keyes said Obama displayed "ignorance" in his knowledge of the Constitution. Obama pointed out that he teaches constitutional law at the University of Chicago and accused Keyes of frequently making inaccurate statements.

The two even argued over whether Keyes calls people names, with Obama taking the Republican to task for likening abortion-rights supporters to tecordists, slaveholders and Nazis. Keyes said he doesn't "call people names; I make arguments."

"Selfish hedonist" constitutes an argument? Keyes may think Obama is a little hazy on the Constitution, but Keyes may want to cozy up with Websters.