Posted on 08/08/2004 6:26:50 PM PDT by Jeff Blogworthy
Republicans in Illinois have been scrambling to the fill the void left by U.S. Senate Nominee Jack Ryan. The Republican resigned amid a sex-scandal controversy, but now Republicans have chosen a new candidate.
Nearly six weeks of looking for a replacement U.S. Senate candidate came to an end on Sunday afternoon.
Former presidential candidate and current Maryland resident Alan Keyes has thrown his hat into the Illinois Senate Race where his biggest opponent will be Democrat Barack Obama.
“In a perfect setting this would have not unfolded obviously. Is he the right guy? We’re going to know that November,” says Senator Dan Rutherford.
U.S. Republican Representative Dan Brady says while Keyes has criticized other candidates for running in states where they don't live, these circumstances are different. And that Keyes will have to try to appeal to voters.
“Not just republicans, but to try to resonate with independent voters. I think one on one, it will be very interesting,” says Brady.
And though Keyes is not a state resident yet, officials with the Republican State Committee say it's just a minor detail.
“He will establish a residency in Illinois, which is not hard to do. He just signs a lease somewhere and moves to Illinois,” says Mary Alice Erickson from the Republican State Committee.
And Senator Dan Rutherford says Keyes is more in tune with local issues than others might give him credit for.
“I don't think that on the national scope Illinois issues aren’t too different from those of Maryland or California,” says Senator Dan Rutherford.
“This will no doubt be an uphill battle for Alan Keyes,” says Brady.
So for now, Keyes will focus on campaigning aggressively in Illinois and making up for lost time.
This is the first U.S. senate election with two African American candidates representing the major parties.
So no matter who wins, Illinois will definitely elect it's fifth black senator come November 2nd.
Oh yeah what was I thinking? LOL I think the person is wrong though. I believe the 'Bushies' will support a Keyes run, Sean Hannity may not since he seems to like Jack Ryan but oh well.
Keyes is certainly not a "Bush Republican."
But, he's doomed for sure if he starts trashing Bush in the campaign.
Yes.Keyes will deny Obama a free ride and smoke him out as a doctrinaire liberal...even though
he has no realistic chance of winning.
On what issues? Abortion? Are the "Bushies" pro-abortion? Taxes? Are the "Bushies" for high taxes? Right to bear arms? Are the "Bushies" opposed? And who do you mean by the "Bushies," anyway?
That's not my term. I'm just answering another poster's issues about why Alan Keyes may not be popular with some republican talking heads.
Do you honestly think that, after the primary and his speech at the DNC, they don't know that by now?"
Yes, as a matter of fact, I DON'T think folks in Illinois know what a Marxist-in-sheeps-clothing Barak Osama is;
Didn't you see what kind of TV ratings the Dim Convention got?
There might have been more 'Pubbies watching that farce than Dims!
For that matter, who takes him seriously now?
LOL!
"Please explain the hatred for Keyes, as you understand it. I find it interesting that some of the biggest Iraq war supporters on FR have also revealed themselves as among the biggest bashers of Keyes - - - but I think he supports the war, so I don't get it."
He stayed in the 2000 primaries like Kucinich did to the Dems in '04.
"What are you suggesting about these hosts? That they march to orders from somebody above?"
MMMMM.... no comment. And let's not forget the girls at the minor league Salem Network (Bennett, Medved, Prager, Hewitt, Ingraham)! Just listen to their silence or bitchy snipes at Keyes this week.
What's going on? I've been truly surprised by the anti-Keyes animus on FR tonight - mainly from folk in the "neo-con" orbit. And now a flagship of that movement - the Weekly Standard - slams Keyes. What did he do to get on these folks bad side? Staying in the primaries - in a low-level way - can't have angered folks that much, can it? Is this revealing that a lot of the neo-cons - by which I mean ex-Democrats who switched over for national defense reasons -- really aren't conservative spending, taxing and cultural issues? That's what it's starting to look like to me.
It's not enough to call him a typical leftie, we need to be specific.
Too many were willing to be taken in by his soaring rhetoric.
BTW, adding to my earlier caution about you reading to much into that bogus story, Keyes could OWN the Constitution Party by now if he had been willing to leave the Republicans (and frankly, I often want him to do so and put that party on the map) and he has steadfastly refused to quit the GOP.
Methinks you are being mislead.
I disagree. I think at this point that Hannity is further to the right than Rush. He's always been good to Keyes on H&C...I'm betting he talks Dr. Keyes up more than any other national host.
I was at his announcement rally in Arlington Hts, and I tell you the expected crowd was to be 300-400 tops, they rented a ballroom for that amount and I tell you it spilled outside, there were about 1000 of us! I'd say probably close to a dozen Freepers -g- And mayhaps 5-6 protestors -g-
You can find my after report here and a pic or two my son took and made into poster's -g-
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1183755/posts?page=3444#3444
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1183755/posts?page=3453#3453
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1183755/posts?page=3456#3456
Oh I dunno - far more than would ever take you seriously?
I think your observation hits the head on the nail, though to be fair to some Freepers, many of those who have been at odds with Keyes on here are also Bush die-hards - that is, they are truly conservative even by many Keyesters' standards, but would often rather try it Bush's way or get upset at anything they perceive could split the party against Bush.
Hey, I found one of your old posts on an old Keyes thread tonight:
Take a look at #57, will ya?
I have also been a critic of Alan Keyes, but I sincerely think he is in this race to expose Obama as the radical leftist he is and thus supporting his candidacy.
JMO, considering churchillbuff's numerous and recent anti-Bush remarks, I have to question his veracity and have to wonder if he is trolling for controversy.
Spot on observation my friend. The people playing the "carpetbagger" flute are hypocrites...especially the carpetbagger conservatives who have compromised principles for electability and putting any RINO they can into office. Thats how you get a Jeffords or a McCain "representing" the party, much less representing conservatives. If anyone's a carpetbagger, its the former liberals who now vote (R), many of which crossed over after having some "coming to Jesus" moment politically. They are the one's destroying the party and conservatism to the point where someone like Keyes, Ron Paul, or Tancredo is considered "extremeist". You can only compromise so far. Call a spade a spade...and a former liberal a liberal...they still don't get it.
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