Vanity: Alan Keyes for Senate

Aug 23, 2004 | Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

I'll make this short and sweet (kinda like this is your brain, this is your brain on crack - any questions?).

a) Alan Keyes is an America loving, Constitution loving, Liberty loving, pro-life ultra conservative. We'd be ^damned lucky to have him in the Senate if we could get him there.

b) Barack Obama is an America hating, pro-abortion socialist communist. It'll be a dark day for America if he's elected.

Any questions?

[malakhi]

I'm a realist. Keyes is down 41 points. At this point, he'll be fortunate to pull 35% on election day. There are other senate races that are winnable, and it makes sense to me to put money and effort into those races. Winnability aside, I have concerns that Keyes's candidacy will pull down the Republican vote in Illinois congressional races. He's got to get his numbers up to avoid being a drag on fellow Republicans.

[Sabertooth]

They're very minor, bordering on the insignificant, making me question the motivations of the anti-Keyesteristas, especially considering the fact that Alan is the greatest exponent of conservatism today.

Greater than Buckley, Sowell, Will, Schlafly, Steyn, Coulter, Hanson, Gaffney, Malkin, etc.?

Am I an A-K for even asking?

I'm glad I don't have to vote in Illinois, because it would be painful to enter the booth this November. It's all rather moot, though, because Keyes is done. The lunacy of race-based tax exemptions can't be excused, and won't be. It's so self-destructive that one can only wonder how Keyes would melt down if elected to the Senate, and how often.

Keyes started off with carpet baggage, and proceeded to chain himself to the reparations anvil before walking off a Lake Michigan dock.

[Sabertooth]

He didn't do it. Why don't you wear a sign on your bum: "I drink mainstream media Kook-Aid?"

Read the reasons Keyes was finally convinced after significant asking/begging, to do this.

"He didn't do it" even though he was convinced "to do this?"

Am I on a John Kerry thread?

[B Knotts]

Thanks, Jim.

The Keyes bashing is getting out of control.

[unspun]

He didn't carpetbag. Sheesh, why does this have to be explained over and over? It's very simple. He was implored to come in an extreme situation and decided to do so. Carpetbagging is foisting oneself on another state.

WE WANT HIM HERE. WE ASKED FOR HIM. HE DEMURRED. ILLINOISIANS RELATED TO HIM WHAT IS AT STAKE (OUR MOST FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES). ILLINOIS SOVEREIGNLY ASKED HIM TO RUN. HE RELENTED AND CAME.

Repeat that over and over again, until it sinks in.

[Onelifetogive]

First Keyes gets the Thomas Sowell endorsement, now the Jim Robinson. Who's left that matters?

[unspun]

Winnability aside, I have concerns that Keyes's candidacy will pull down the Republican vote in Illinois congressional races. He's got to get his numbers up to avoid being a drag on fellow Republicans.

Can you say "six thousand volunteers in two weeks and counting?" Illinoisians realized we needed this kind of new momentum, from the real people, in order to reform the state politics.

"Lead, follow, or get out of our way."

[Sabertooth]

He didn't carpetbag. Sheesh, why does this have to be explained over and over?

That soap just doesn't sell.

Keyes lived in another state, and moved to Illinios to run for Senate.

Doesn't matter why, whether relenting to entreaties or going on listening tours, that's what he did. That's called, in modern political parlance, "carpetbagging." There's no point trying to split that hair.

Now, there are wild circumstances in Illinois, given Ryan's withdrawal, and I don't have a hard position on carpetbagging, though I lean aganst it, but if you are going to spin your wheels on that one word you aren't going to garner a single additional vote for Keyes.

[tame]

Very much appreciated, Jim! Thanks :o)

[malakhi]

Can you say "six thousand volunteers in two weeks and counting?" Illinoisians realized we needed this kind of new momentum, from the real people, in order to reform the state politics.

If Keyes is down 30-40 points 3-4 weeks before the election, would you suggest that these volunteers continue their quixotic efforts? Or do you think their time would better be spent hitting the pavement for Republican congressional candidates?

[MeekOneGOP]

Go, Alan Keyes !!

[unspun]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=carpetbagger

car·pet·bag·ger
n.

A Northerner who went to the South after the Civil War for political or financial advantage.

An outsider, especially a politician, who presumptuously seeks a position or success in a new locality.

_______________________________________________

Ok, meditate on this.

[unspun]

They can walk and chew gum. It will not be a loss, if Keyes loses. It will be building an organized, unifeed base. Get a clue or get out of our business.

[unspun]

To say that the Keyes campaign won't help Phil Crane, for example, is wacky. It's as if they won't be campaigning for both? (Not to mention Legislative candidates.) All these instant Illinois experts are really something to behold.

[tame]

Sabertooth, I love you, man. But we really need you on the right side of this one (just as you were on the right side of the Cal Recall).

To all: It's really this simple. By virtue of the fact that Obama has voted to let babies who were accidentally born be murdered, and by virtue of the fact that Keyes is fighting to prevent such murder, Obama is actually LESS qualified to serve as the Senator from Illinois than Keyes is.

Here's my greater good analogy: The allied forces had a right, in fact an obligation, to conquer and REPLACE THE LEADERSHIP OF --or engaged in a "carpetbagging" of sorts-- the Nazis in Germany.

In like manner, Keyes has a right to try to conquer Obama.

Furthermore, the left has been hypocritical and therefore has undermined any argument they have against carpetbagging, WHETHER OR NOT Keyes has spoken against it.

In short, Keyes is observing a greater good than Federalism, by fightin Obama's holocaust.

Attention Philosophers and freepers: See "Hierarchicalism", a.k.a "Graded Absolutism", a.k.a. "greater good" --Aquinas, etc. Please make yourself familiar with the doctrine before responding.

[Sabertooth]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=carpetbagger

car·pet·bag·ger
n.

A Northerner who went to the South after the Civil War for political or financial advantage.

An outsider, especially a politician, who presumptuously seeks a position or success in a new locality.

_______________________________________________

Ok, meditate on this.

Do you mean to tell me this isn't the Era of Reconstruction? Who knew?

Once again...

Keyes lived in another state, and moved to Illinios to run for Senate.

Doesn't matter why, whether relenting to entreaties or going on listening tours, that's what he did. That's called, in modern political parlance, "carpetbagging."

By the definition you just gave, Hillary Clinton weren't Senatorial carpetbaggers either. Anyone can finesse "presumptuously seeks a position," especially those who win the offices they seek, as opposed to Keyes, who won't.

Seriously, you should obsess over that one word. Rally the faithful!

[Sabertooth]

It will not be a loss, if Keyes loses. It will be building an organized, unifeed base.

Mmmm... unifeed.

Please Sir, may I have some more?

[unspun]

Are you trying to be ignorant? Read it again:

"An outsider, especially a politician, who presumptuously seeks a position or success in a new locality."

Alan Keyes did not seek a position in Illinois. After being invited to discuss the situation by the Illinois GOP State Central Committee, he decided to accept their decision to nominate him.

Logic works. Give it a try.

[tame]

{Alan came in 3rd!} I was one of them, I voted my heart

I voted for Keyes in the 2000 primary, and I wrote in Keyes on my ballot in the last Presidential primary! I also voted for Tom McClintock in the California Recall. If the absolutely best men fail to get into office, you and I can always say it's not our fault :o)

[unspun]

In short, Keyes is observing a greater good than Federalism, by fightin Obama's holocaust.

He is also not violating our principles Federalism. Illinois sovereignly sought him out and asked him to run. Illinois has the sovereign right to do that, according to the U.S. Constitution.

Illinois will not let residents of other states tell us what we cannot do.