1) Barack Obama has been annointed by the media and the Democrats as a "future star" in the Democrat party.
2) The national Republican Party will be watching to see if the public will vote pro-life.
3) The national GOP will be watching to see if party activists will send money to an "extreme Conservative."
4) If Alan Keyes does better than expected, we will get more Conservative, Pro-Life, Pro-Constitution candidates in the future.
5) If Alan Keyes does worse than expected, we will get more pro-choice, "liberal" Arlen Specter-type candidates.
6) Obama voted to defend "live-birth abortion" (Allowing babies born alive during botched abortions to die from lack of care.) Hillary and Ted Kennedy wouldn't even vote for this. If this is not a winning issue, the GOP can take "pro-life" off the table as an issue.
7) The national media will be waiting for the opportunity to claim that Republicans are racist and will not vote for a black man.
8) The media knocked Jack Ryan out of the race. A bigger victory for Obama over Keyes than would have happened versus Ryan will reward them and encourage more of the same against other GOP candidates. An improved showing in IL by the GOP will punish the media for trashing Ryan. If Ryan was your man, avenge him by supporting Keyes.
9) Supporting Keyes in IL will help Bush win IL.
10) It will indicate that the GOP is made up of people who can intelligently debate ideas (slavery, reparations, tax cuts, freedom) and support someone who makes an attempt to debate ideas. If Keyes is shunned for being willing to debate ideas, we will only be rewarded with more bland, packaged candidated who spout platitudes.
11) Obama or Keyes? Who do you want voting on the next several Supreme Court nominees?
12) Everything you don't like about Keyes, you'll get more of from Obama. One of these two men WILL be the next Senator from Illinois.