Ok, I have now plowed through almost all of the posts here on this thread, and will now add my two cents worth. Let me preface my comments with the fact that I am an Illinoisan, born, raised, and lived here all my life. I might also add that for many years I worked actively (as a precinct committeeman) for the Republican party, and I live in DuPage County, the bastion of conservative Republicanism in the state of Illinois (although that is being watered down some as more Chicagoans move out to the burbs). So I feel I speak with some authority on the state of Illinois, and I mean that in both senses.
First LandOfLincolnGOP: would you wait another 6 years, which is what you would have to do, for another shot at the Pubs getting the Senate seat in Illinois. Merely to hold to some principle that the Pub party in Illinois should have had someone homegrown, even if all of them most likely would have lost? Grooming one of them for the next opportunity you say? The next opportunity would be 6 long years of a socialist dem holding the position of Junior Senator from Illinois, with no guarantees at all that he wouldn't win again the second time around. You'd better start thinking in real world terms, and not feed your grudge against the Pub party in Illinois, which accomplishes nothing and guarantees a senatorial loss. Even if you have some valid points about the incompetency of the Pub Party in IL, it's now water over the dam, and the cards you have to deal with are the cards you have to deal with.
Sinkspur, I don't get your philosophy of Republicanism, if you even have one. It seems to be let the Pubs have no shot at all in Illinois because you don't like Alan Keyes in particular, and that Keyes once said something hostile about Bush policy. Do you remember Bush Sr. saying it was "voodoo economics" as a campaign slogan against Reagan? Candidates always are saying one thing or the other against their fellow candidates in primaries. But, I think you just want to be a contrarian here, and spout against the one possibility the state of Illinois has to try to beat Obama, just to stir the pot. Have fun, but you just negate yourself with your own negativism.
Howlin: It's time to lay off the Cheney and where he lived and whether its the same situation as Keyes is in, as it is so immaterial, no one was slurring Cheney, and I think you know it. You too, I believe, are just latching onto this issue like a pit bull to what achievable end, unknown. But it is a waste of thread space.
The Pub party in Illinois is between a rock and a hard spot. No candidate, Ryan out, little time left, and if they didn't grab onto someone with name recognition, their cause would be lost. Do any of you really think that Barthwell would bring out any Pub vote at all? A lack of turnout, of course, would be totally detrimental to Bush's cause come November. No Pubs voting, and Bush guaranteed to lose Illinois. With a name brand like Keyes, whether one is voting for or against him, he will generate buzz, and therefore bring out the Pub vote. That means more votes for Bush, a positive.
Illinois has had a slew of Republican governors, most recently, Big Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, and (Barf) George Ryan, a RINO of the first order. So not to say that Pubs can't win in Illinois, they can. But because of a corrupt, backroom political hack (George Ryan) who contaminated the Pub party in Illinois, we lost the Pub Gov advantage. It didn't help that the Pub party then put up another guy named Ryan for Gov right after George the Corrupt's regime (the second one, Jim Ryan lost; and then with great foresight put up yet another Ryan (Jack) for Senator. That was one too many Ryan's in a row, especially since the name "Ryan" was so fully equated with George the Corrupt.
So, here we are now, with a socialist (Obama) on the verge of winning by default unless the Pub party in this state did something dramatic. They tried with Ditka, but couldn't convince him. Now they are trying Keyes. I think Keyes will run. I think he likes the idea of the challenge, personally. I think he has already agreed to run (has told the Pub party he will do it), and is waiting to announce it on Sunday, because that is when it will make the biggest splash in the news (the Sunday talk shows). Keyes ain't no dummy. I think he has a better chance than many may think. The black Dems in Chicago that are being brought up as to how they may vote, could possibly swing to Keyes, if Jesse Jackson and his son are heavily backing Obama, as many of the black more conservative types I have worked with over many years in Chicago, hate Jackson. They, better than most, know what an opportunist Jackson has been, as he lived in their hoods.
Strange circumstances such as have surfaced in Illinois Pub politics this year demand gutsy moves, and going with Keyes is such a move. I'm actually surprised someone in the IL Pub party had the foresight to think of Keyes and make inquiries. My hat's off to that person.
First of all, it's considered good forum etiquette to PING the people you are posting about.
And secondly, shove it.
No, the next opportunity is 2006, when both Blagojavich and Durbin are up for reelection. When Keyes loses (and despite the considerable number of people on this thread living in fantasy land, he will lose), he's certainly not sticking around to use whatever ground he gains as momentum in a race to unseat one of those democrats.
This race could have been important, but it was always a long shot, and now a virtual certain loser. So why not use it as an opportunity to foster new talent for the future? Because the future is a lot sooner than we think.
Go Keyes!! He'd make a great Senator!!
Thank you very much for posting this. It's good to hear from someone in the know from Illinois on this. I sure hope you all can get Keyes a win!