Posted on 08/06/2004 2:57:01 AM PDT by kattracks
CHICAGO - Former presidential hopeful and talk-show host Alan Keyes (news - web sites) has agreed to become Illinois Republicans' U.S. Senate candidate, according to a newspaper report.Keyes planned to announce his decision to accept the GOP nomination at a public launch on Sunday, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times reported in Friday editions, citing unnamed Republican sources.
Bill Pascoe, a political adviser and Keyes friend, said Thursday he could not confirm that Keyes had accepted the nomination. "He thinks he owes it to them to take the time to deliberate," Pascoe said.
The committee asked Keyes to make the run late Wednesday after spending weeks searching for a replacement for primary winner Jack Ryan.
Keyes would face Barack Obama in the race for the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (news, bio, voting record), a Republican. Obama, a state senator making his first run for national office, gained prominence as a keynote speaker at last month's Democratic National Convention in Boston.
Keyes, a two-time presidential hopeful who also ran two failed U.S. Senate campaigns from his home state of Maryland, opposes abortion and gay rights, wants to replace the income tax with a national sales tax and calls affirmative action a "government patronage program."
The race would be the first U.S. Senate election with two black candidates representing the major parties and almost assure Illinois would produce the fifth black senator in history.
Keyes will have to establish residency in Illinois by Election Day, according to federal law.
Keyes....if I want to use tact, I could say he is a little long winded and possibly a little more fired up than the electorate on certain issues. If I wanted to skip tact, I'd say he's a blowhard with zero chance of getting elected.
Nope.
These debates may get more play than the Bush/Kerry debates, and they're sure to be better. Keyes' candidacy can only work in the Republicans' favor.
Not only is Alan Keyes the greatest debater and orator of the last century, I'd say that Alan Keyes is nothing less than a prophet.
So I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
A few nights ago, I saw a replayed clip of Keyes criticizing Hillary for being a carpetbagger. In principal, I'm against it, too. There is some difference though: the Illinois Republicans don't have anyone else. Their original candidate crashed and burned (perhaps unfairly -- I don't know that claims made in a divorce are especially trustworthy), and their first choice for replacement backed out.
Hillary, on the other hand, shoved aside the presumptive Dem candidate, Nita Lowey (sp?), who lived in the state and had put in her time in the House.
Call me crazy, call me consistent.
I really, really like Keyes.
But I don't like state-shopping and state-hopping. I didn't like it when Hillary did it. I don't support it now.
I'm hoping that maybe Keyes lived in Illinois at some or other in the past....on knowledge of which I will withdraw my election. I would call that "coming back home."
That said, I'd vote for Keyes over any democrat despite the state-hopping.
Why is everyone so excited about a 2-time loser in MD thinking of running (and probably losing) in IL? Just because the debating would be real fun isn't enough reason to send a big name sheep to the slaughter house.
Sunday we will know if Dr. Keyes will take on the challenge, but the Illinois GOP has already spoiled the waters for any candidate they put forward now. I would advise against the effort just to keep the this sideshow from getting worse.
(Looks reprovingly at "libertylover." Shakes head.)
They named a freakin' bulding after me dude!
No we won't. We can watch his numbers and see if they are any better than his TV ratings were. Lucky for Alan it'll be sweater weather at voting time.
seeing as the press is ready to cannonize barak and everyone else is behaving like the guy is a vision from heaven, its unlikely that any republican had a chance. So might as well put someone in who will go down swinging.
bump to read later
bttt
"Be not afraid."
-Pope John Paul II
Instead of putting up the usual feckless, bland, almost completely unimaginative choice that we have all come to expect from the Republican Party in situations like this, they've decided to come out with every gun blazing.
It's more than I can say for my own state's presumptive U.S. Senate nominee.
I don't think he has much of one, but it will give him a platform to espouse views and maybe change some minds. Especially black ones.
correction at #26
election = objection
sheesh....time for another cup of coffee!!
I think Alan Keyes will be himself, a patriot, honorable,a man of integrity, and a role model for all people to emulate. These traits are not found in the CBC, and I do not forsee him associating with that ilk.Bush/Cheney 2004
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