Beats me, I don't know Illinois politics, but I am willing to bet he is the best possible chance Republicans have. It would be great to see a principled man like Keyes in office.
He is the best candidate available. Having never heard him speak outside of brief tv sound bites I was very impressed with his performance today. He swiftly and surely outlined a hell of a fight for the lil socialist sweetie to have to face. Essentially declaring that the Liberal Democrat agenda is an implicit rejection of the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
These include rights denied by the RATS:
1) the right of self defense as quaranteed by the 2d;
2) the right of life now denied by partial birth abortion;
3) national defense without guilt;
4) the right to keep the fruits of your labor from excessive taxation.
He also alluded to the place of Illinois in the securing of Freedom through the principles of Abraham Lincoln; the sanctity of marriage and the role of the family in a good society. Its importance he illustrated with a bit of his own's family's history which took place in Maryland though he was an Army brat raised in many places which resulted from his dad's career. He spoke of the difficulty in going away from Maryland and said that the choice was not made easily or without prayer. But the needs of the Nation drove his ultimate decision and the need to resist the forces represented by Obama and the RATS.
It was an impressive piece of oratory in the grand style of the American Republic touching responsive chords within the hearts of most of the audience. I was glad I went and can see that given a fair shake by the media Dr. Keyes will be all Obama can handle and then some. Certainly no other candidate can move and enthus the audience as can Dr. Keyes.
He didn't promise a Victory but he promised Obama a BATTLE.
I'm with you. The Republicans were dead in the water. There is almost no chance for Keyes to win but he is the perfect underdog. And because of his oratory skills, he will be able to do an excellent job in explaining the Republican platform. This is good news for the Republican Party and for George Bush.
Besides, I have this crazy belief that lost causes are the only causes worth fighting for. I am very proud of Alan Keyes.