Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

2 Black Candidates Vie to Challenge Obama
Guardian ^ | August 4, 2004 | MAURA KELLY LANNAN

Posted on 08/04/2004 12:19:07 PM PDT by ancient_geezer

2 Black Candidates Vie to Challenge Obama


Wednesday August 4, 2004 7:16 PM

AP Photo NY132

By MAURA KELLY LANNAN

Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) - After weeks of searching for a U.S. Senate candidate, Illinois Republicans have narrowed their choice to two black politicians, a development that all but assures Illinois will produce the fifth black U.S. senator in history.

State party chairwoman Judy Baar Topinka said Republican leaders would interview Alan Keyes, a two-time presidential candidate, and Andrea Grubb Barthwell, a former deputy drug czar in the Bush administration, on Wednesday and then choose one to take on Barack Obama, a black state senator from Chicago and Democratic rising star.

Their choice would set up the first U.S. Senate election with two black candidates representing the major parties. Only four blacks have ever served in the U.S. Senate - and only two since Reconstruction: Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts and Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois.

GOP leaders picked Keyes and Barthwell after a daylong meeting Tuesday where they met with an eclectic group of more than a dozen potential candidates and settled on the ones they thought could best articulate the issues.

Republicans, who have struggled to find a replacement candidate since Jack Ryan dropped out over embarrassing sex-club allegations in his divorce records, said race wasn't their motivating factor in choosing Keyes and Barthwell.

``These two were selected because of their strengths, not because of their color,'' said state Sen. Dave Syverson, a member of the Republican State Central Committee. ``Voters are smarter than that. That clearly wasn't the intent.''

Neither candidate has deep political ties in Illinois. Keyes has never lived in the state and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate twice from his home state of Maryland. He sought the presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000, and worked in the State Department for several years.

Under state law, Keyes would only have to take up residence by Election Day.

Barthwell, a physician from suburban Chicago, was deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy from 2002 until last month, when she quit to explore the Senate run.

Syverson said Keyes did not want to talk to reporters Tuesday night, and he could not immediately be reached for comment.

Barthwell said she did not think the committee made her a finalist because she is black.

``I don't think that this committee is playing any kind of race card here,'' she said. ``I think they have looked at the candidates and the strengths they can bring to it and how they position themselves on the issues.''

The candidates have sharply different political views.

Keyes opposes abortion and gay rights, wants to replace the income tax with a national sales tax, and calls affirmative action a ``government patronage program.'' Barthwell, a medical doctor, has a history of supporting Democratic politicians and has publicly opposed marijuana for medical uses in her role as deputy drug czar, but her positions on other key issues are largely unknown.

Republicans have suffered a string of disappointments since Ryan dropped his Senate bid. Party leaders repeatedly tried and failed to enlist a big-name candidate to run for the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Peter Fitzgerald - former governors, state senators and Chicago Bears great Mike Ditka have all declined.

Whoever is chosen now will have just three months to raise cash and campaign against Obama, who has captured national media attention, raised more than $10 million, and gave the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: barthwell; keyes; taxreform
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last
I discussed the importance of abolishing the income tax because of its tendency to form a habit of servility in the souls of a people that accepts it.

Servility of soul is bad not only in itself, it is also an open door through which will soon walk the abuses of ambitious government power.

Leaders who find themselves with governmental power over a servile people will be quick to conclude that such a people exist to serve them.

Alan Keyes 1999


1 posted on 08/04/2004 12:19:08 PM PDT by ancient_geezer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Taxman; Principled; Bigun; EternalVigilance; kevkrom; n-tres-ted; Poohbah; CliffC; ...
A Taxreform bump for you all.

If you would like to be added to this ping list let me know.

John Linder in the House & Saxby Chambliss Senate, offer a comprehensive bill to kill all income and payroll taxes outright, and provide a IRS free replacement in the form of a retail sales tax:

H.R.25, S.1493
A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national retail sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.

Refer for additional information: http://www.fairtax.org & http://www.salestax.org


2 posted on 08/04/2004 12:20:03 PM PDT by ancient_geezer (Equality, the French disease: Everyone is equal beneath the guillotine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer

Would Keyes support this?


3 posted on 08/04/2004 12:21:09 PM PDT by RockinRight (Liberalism IS the status quo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer

PLEEEEEEEESE let it be Dr. Keyes! I don't think he can beat Obama, though, not because he isn't a better candidate, but this is Illinois we're talking about here...


4 posted on 08/04/2004 12:22:03 PM PDT by RockinRight (Liberalism IS the status quo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RockinRight

You're right, Keyes probably wouldn't be able to win in Illinois, but the Keyes/Obama debates would be must see TV.


5 posted on 08/04/2004 12:31:30 PM PDT by GiveEmDubya (John²: Two Hairdos. One Agenda. No Idea.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: RockinRight
Would Keyes support this?

Without a doubt!

 

Keyes on Taxes & Government Spending:

Alan Keyes Interview with Des Moines Register:


6 posted on 08/04/2004 12:32:16 PM PDT by ancient_geezer (Equality, the French disease: Everyone is equal beneath the guillotine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer
Knock knock? Whos there? Obama. Osama? No,Obama. Yomama? NO! OBAMA. Its locked, you need the Keyes to get in.

I would like to see Keyes get more exposure, by any means.

7 posted on 08/04/2004 12:36:01 PM PDT by No Blue States
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: No Blue States

I'll go for Keyes any time for any office. We need a hundred more like him.


8 posted on 08/04/2004 12:47:21 PM PDT by ancient_geezer (Equality, the French disease: Everyone is equal beneath the guillotine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer

Just returned from the Union League Club where Dr Keyes was arriving. There was a nice crowd of Keyes supporters there, maybe 50, who let loose with a loud chant of "KEYES, KEYES, KEYES" when he was being interviewed. It will sound like there were a thousand people there when played on the news tonight.

It looked as though he was in danger of being crushed by the media as the reporters were surrounding him without a room to spare.

This could get interesting.


9 posted on 08/04/2004 12:53:01 PM PDT by justshutupandtakeit (America's Enemies: foreign and domestic RATmedia agree Bush must be destroyed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: GiveEmDubya

Man,

that would be some awesome debates... Go Keyes Go!


10 posted on 08/04/2004 12:53:22 PM PDT by Saint Athanasius ("I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born." - Ronald Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: justshutupandtakeit

There was a nice crowd of Keyes supporters there, maybe 50, who let loose with a loud chant of "KEYES, KEYES, KEYES" when he was being interviewed.

Could be tempted to move to Illinois. Almost that is.

Don't think I could do without my mountains.

11 posted on 08/04/2004 12:57:05 PM PDT by ancient_geezer (Equality, the French disease: Everyone is equal beneath the guillotine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer

Jeez, why no similar outrage over this blatant carpetbagging as we experienced over a particular senate seat in NY?

Just kidding.


12 posted on 08/04/2004 12:58:42 PM PDT by dmz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dmz

"What's good for the goose ...", as I see it ;O)


13 posted on 08/04/2004 1:00:41 PM PDT by ancient_geezer (Equality, the French disease: Everyone is equal beneath the guillotine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer

Big mistake to pick Keyes here and put him in an unwinnable situation. He lives in MD for heaven's sake. Plenty of IL voters who under normal circumstances would have voted for him will take a pass. I think Hitlery is the only example of "Senate seat shopping" actually working, and that's only because it was NY.


14 posted on 08/04/2004 1:08:25 PM PDT by Hurricane Andrew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: ancient_geezer

Come to Chicago we have mountains of RATcrapheads here.


16 posted on 08/04/2004 1:46:09 PM PDT by justshutupandtakeit (America's Enemies: foreign and domestic RATmedia agree Bush must be destroyed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Hurricane Andrew

It would not be a mistake. This is the result of the RATmedia destruction of the bonafide candidate so all bets are off. By any means necessary.

Keyes would excite the conservative base like few other candidates and will stand toe to toe with the pretty new RAT the world has fallen in love with.

He understands the difficulty of this endeavor and there will not be ANY significant number of Republicans who won't vote for him because of the residency issue. As long as it is ok with the Constitution (and it is) it is fine with me.

If truth be told his opponent likely came to Illinois specifically to run in the RAT controlled Chicago machine. Not only is HE no native but the position he ran for was a STATE position. This role involves serving the entire Country since it is a US Senatorial position.

Desperate times demand desperate measures.


17 posted on 08/04/2004 1:53:50 PM PDT by justshutupandtakeit (America's Enemies: foreign and domestic RATmedia agree Bush must be destroyed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: jamesnwu

I will not vote for her under any circumstances, I'll vote Libertine first. The fact that she is very being considered shows the disastrous depths to which the Il GOP has fallen.


18 posted on 08/04/2004 1:55:18 PM PDT by justshutupandtakeit (America's Enemies: foreign and domestic RATmedia agree Bush must be destroyed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: justshutupandtakeit
We have a unique solution to too many democrats in our area of the world.

 

"Judge Melville B. Gerry of Lake City, a Democrat, pronounced sentence upon Alferd E. Packer this way: "You voracious man-eating son of a bitch, there was seven Democrats in Hinsdale County and you ate five of them. God damn you! I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you are dead, Dead, DEAD, as a warning against reducing the Democratic population of Hinsdale County. Packer, you Republican cannibal, I would sentence you to Hell but the statutes forbid it.""


19 posted on 08/04/2004 1:57:45 PM PDT by ancient_geezer (Equality, the French disease: Everyone is equal beneath the guillotine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer

They should have considered Herman Cain, who just lost his bid to be the Republican Candidate for US Senate in Georgia. I am upset that he lost here, but would love to see him in the Senate, regardless of the State that puts him there.


20 posted on 08/04/2004 1:59:42 PM PDT by Tatze (I will actually vote for John Kerry before I vote against him!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson