Posted on 08/07/2004 7:24:44 PM PDT by Graybeard58
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - At one point during last week's Republican leadership gathering in Chicago, the debate over conservative activist Alan Keyes grew so contentious that journalists standing outside the closed doors heard - and reported - the shouting.
The Illinois Republican State Central Committee later barred reporters from the entire floor where they were meeting to choose their party's new candidate for the U.S. Senate.
But with Keyes' candidacy likely to become official Sunday, it will be much tougher for Republican leaders to hide the internal strife in their divided party.
On Wednesday night the committee formally asked Keyes - a former United Nations ambassador and two-time presidential candidate who has never lived in Illinois - to run against Democratic candidate Barack Obama for Illinois' open Senate seat. All indications are that Keyes will accept, kicking off his campaign Sunday at a Chicago-area rally.
Keyes will replace Jack Ryan, whom Republicans nominated in the primaries for the Senate. Ryan bowed out of the race last month amid embarrassing sexual allegations.
While Keyes' candidacy solves one problem for the GOP, it generates another: His far-right views on most major issues will, once again, highlight the deep fissure in the Illinois GOP between moderates - like former Govs. Jim Edgar and James Thompson - and the more conservative wing, which has been trying for years to move the party rightward.
"The state party is divided in the same way the national party is divided. The difference in Illinois is that the more moderate branch tends to run the board," noted political scientist John S. Jackson of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. "The hard-right decided they wanted this ... but it will magnify the fault lines" with moderates.
Shouts and silence
The first rumblings of that fault line were heard through the cl
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Wow.
Certainly you're not claiming this is the first time you've heard of this, are you?
As far back as I can remember, they have been "coming to final agreement."
Douglas Webber of the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C., said it is not unusual for candidates to allow debt to accrue for years in losing campaigns.
Is it Alan Keyes' position that it's okay to NOT pay people/vendors for services rendered? I know that was John Glenn's position -- and he put a lot of people, mostly small busineses, out of business.
We Got A Winner!!!!
IMO the ONLY way Keyes gets close is to run HARD to those moral issues that the Black church agrees with the GOP position on. I still think it would be the greatest miracle of our generation if he won, but if he's gonna ramp up that 9% of the black vote to 18-20% he HAS to get some of the Black Christians who are badly disturbed about Gay marriage (and there are quite a few down here in the south who are incensed they are trying to coat-tail on the civil rights movement) and use that issue to remind them about school choice and abortion and all the rest.
I think that this is doable. I'm not convinced it'll be enough to actually win, but if he ignores the secular Black and runs to the religious Black I think he can double the usual slice of black vote accorded to Republicans.
It'd help to recruit people like Star Parker and Reggie White to do some stumping on his behalf as well.
I believe the lower figure is corect. don't have proof handy but it fits my recollection.
And,dear,I am far mores in touch with the REAL world,than you are;obviously.Not to mention the fact that I don't have to be childishly petty,insulting,and derisive to get my points across;unlike you.
Your view of his speaking abilities is the minority view. He is widely praised for his oratory skills.
Obviously, as you aren't an Illinoisan, you can't vote in our state for Keyes. However, you might want to take note of your own comments about yourself on this forum, when one clicks on your name. Here you are:
"I vote for the most libertarian/conservative candidate in Republican primaries, but always vote "R" in the general - no matter how the "R" stacks up against the "D." As a numbers man, I know it's always the more "R's" the better.
Lastly, to me a RINO is a someone who claims to be a Republican - but who will vote for someone other than a Republican because he/she may disagree with some of the views a given Republican candidate supports. Other definitiions of "RINO" are disingenuous at best."
Thank you.
Star Parker and Reggie White keep a distance from him politically. I wonder why?
"Keyes is smart enough to know there will be tons of gotcha questions, and smart enough to learn the answers. And every time he answers one right he increases his credibility as an Illinois-worthy candidate in the eyes of the voters."
Excellent analysis on your part. And 100% correct.
A guess? Based on a similar phenomena some years ago in Mississippi...fraud and power on the local level. Even though MS outside the Delta is basically solid GOP, with a Gov and both senators and two reps (and another who might as well be) in the GOP column, most of the statewide offices, the majority of the legislature, and virtually ALL local offices are held by 'rats.
for decades, we were a one party state and that party controlled the machinery of elections. Even now it takes an extraordinary man - and a complete failure on the Democrat ticket - to elect a GOP rep or state senator from my district even though virtually everyone's political views are aligned with the GOP. People do this because the legislature is controlled by the Dems...a self fulfilling curse, so to speak.
I assume Arkansas has much the same problem.
I agree that holding an office like Senator would make him at least a far more credible candidate for the presidency. I think he is capable - as are many other good men in and out of politics - of stepping in and doing the job...and that such a man might be just the antidote for the self-perpetuating problems in Washington -but I concede that such men are almost impossible to elect.
I said you were funny because you are dumb enough to question my 'credentials', when you don't have any clue what they are.
Yes, and in my post #62 on this very thread, I stated that even now I would vote for Keyes over Obama were I an Illinoisan - just as I held my nose (because by election day everyone knew what he was all about - he got 29% of the vote) and voted for him over Mikulski in '92 when I lived in Maryland.
Your point?
Will he reside in Illinois after the election? If he makes that promise, I'll campaign for the guy!!!! If not, he's the political opportunist so many have called him.
I'm going to bed.
Are you sure this is worth your time?
Cheers,
Richard F.
I got it, EV. Thanks. Genius.
Good idea.
It's been fun - and no one had to take a dime out of anyone's campaign fund to enjoy this time we've shared.
Good night, all!
Maybe not. Better make some more miles.
But at least some agendas are being exposed. That has to be good for the thousands of conservatives lurking on these threads.
Conservatives are an intelligent lot. They understand the smear campaign that is going on here, who is doing it, and why.
Night, my friend.
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.