In Illinois Senate Race, Obama 64% Keyes 20% (Republican support below 50%)

Rasmussen Reports ^ | 10/07/2004 | Rasmussen Reports

[Luis Gonzalez]

October 7, 2004--As expected, Democrats will pick up a Senate seat in Illinois this November.

The latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows Democrat Barack Obama holding a 64% to 20% lead over Republican Alan Keyes. The survey was commissioned by the Daily Southtown.

Just 46% of Republicans in the state plan to vote for their own party's nominee. Eight percent (8%) of Republicans say they will not cast a vote in the Senate race.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Illinois voters have a favorable opinion of Barack Obama. Forty-two percent (42%) of voters describe the rising Democratic star as liberal while 34% describe him as mainstream.

For Keyes, 33% have a favorable opinion. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say he is an extremist and another 14% describe him as divisive. Just 7% say Keyes is in the political mainstream.

Overall, 59% of Illinois voters have an unfavorable opinion of Keyes including 39% who say they have a "very" unfavorable opinion of him.

[Luis Gonzalez]

When the national GOP makes a boneheaded move, we jump all over their case here, if we made a boneheaded move in Florida, we would likewise get jumped on by Florida's Republicans.

I'm highly critical of the Illinois GOP, and somewhat critical of some of the not-so-bright moments in Alan's campaign that he was personally responsible for.

[dmz]

Trust me. It's way more than appearances that he's doing so poorly. It goes all the way to the bone.

[BushisTheMan]

Keyes' own reparation remarks killed his chances.

[Phantom Lord]

I find it pretty incredible that we have so many short-sighted people on FR, not to mention in Illinois. I'm sure y'all are going to love the likes of Senator Obama in the US Senate for the next several decades.

If being short sighted means seeing the reality of Keyes getting crushed on Nov. 2 by what is going to be likely the largest margin in the entire country, then call me short sighted.

[Phantom Lord]

What remains undisputed is that Alan Keyes stands for the issues that are in the party's platform, whereas Obama stands directly opposed.

Could you kindly point me to the portion of the GOP platform that supports reperations for blacks and a universal military draft. Thanks.

[BillyBoy]

If I posted on the Florida threads gloating that Betty Castro was gonna win and Martinez is a right-wing lunatic and a national joke, Luis Gonzalez would hit the abuse button so quick the thread would be zotted in a blink of an eye. But of course, it's OKAY when he does it on Illinois threads. Luis seems to be barely able to contain his excitement for Obama. I suggest he contribute to the DSCC because after his assistance in "taking back" Illinois and adding one more pro-Daschle vote in the Senate, they could use his help trashing our other "out of touch" Republican candidates languishing in Alaska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Florida, and North Carolina.

Hey, it's okay, Luis is voting for Bush. That makes him a Republican in good standing, so I guess Ed Koch is now a good conservative Republican by the Luis Gonzalez bar (nevermind all the liberal Democrats Kosh in backing on the rest of the ticket)

[Dan from Michigan]

Keyes is a good pundit(although he may hurt himself badly here). He's a good draw to fundraisers, particulary right to life functions(800 people paid $40 to see him - county event).

I had a bad feeling about this from the start. For the record, if I lived in Illinois, I'd vote for him.
1. He's an out of towner. Not only is he not from Illinois, he's not even from the Midwest. That hurts him both near Chicago and Downstate.
2. The GOP in Illinois is not on the same page. The moderate and liberal factions are at odds with the conservatives, and neither will support the other at all. The party is still recovering from George Ryan.
And that's not even considering the campaign itself, and any statements given(reperations, etc).

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Alan Keyes is an embarrassment to humanity... much less the GOP.

So you stigmatize the moral guy and promote the baby killer? Hmmmm, interesting set of standards you place on the pride of humanity.

[CatoRenasci]

Sorry, BillyBoy, Keyes has taken some real moonbat stances in the race (black reparations) and violated Reagan's "11th commandment" [Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican] by trashing Cheney's daughter. Obama is pretty awful, and Keyes has done some good work in the past, but I think he was a terrible choice for a candidate.

[Spyder]

I know that Keyes is offensive to some Republicans, but anything but a Rat, please...

Dunno - in Keyes's case I think a rat is the better alternative. Keyes is every bit as bad as McCain in trashing other Republicans and basking in the media spotlight when he does so.

[Texas_Dawg]

So you stigmatize the moral guy and promote the baby killer?

I'm assuming by "the baby killer", you mean Barack Obama, and if so, can you show me where I promoted him?

[dpwiener]

Have you seen the Kerry Haters For Kerry web site? Maybe you can create a similar "Keyes Haters For Keyes" web page.

Hey, it's a long shot, but what's the downside? It might even make the difference between Keys losing by a 76%-to-24% margin versus a 79%-to-21% margin (but I'm not saying in which direction).

[rawhide]

Is it possible to pull a New Jersey switch-a-roo? Something needs to be done here?

[Lurking Libertarian]

Is it possible to pull a New Jersey switch-a-roo?

Keyes is the switcheroo, for Ryan.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

There are two men in the race. You know what they say, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." If you are on the worldwide web helping LG bash Keyes, you are by default promoting Obama's campaign.

[William Wallace]

If I posted on the Florida threads gloating that Betty Castro was gonna win and Martinez is a right-wing lunatic and a national joke, Luis Gonzalez would hit the abuse button so quick the thread would be zotted in a blink of an eye

Your analogy is seriously flawed. Now, if you posted on a Florida thread that Larry Klayman was "a national joke", then your analogy would be quite apt. But if you did that, Luis, Poohbah and the others who predicted this disaster wouldn't be pushing the abuse button. They would be agreeing with you.

BTW if Keyes' critics represent a "useful idiot Obama Cheerleeding Squad" because they criticize Keyes, then Alan Keyes himself must be a useful idiot member of the Kerry-Edwards cheerleading squad given his numerous gratuitous swipes at Bush-Cheney.

Why is it unconservative to attack someone who by your own standard is "a useful idiot for Kerry-Edwards?"

[William Wallace]

There are two men in the race. You know what they say, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." If you are on the worldwide web helping LG bash Keyes, you are by default promoting Obama's campaign.

So when President Lincoln was criticizing McClellan handling of the Army of the Potomac, he was by default promoting Lee's campaign???

[PAR35]

I find it pretty incredible that we have so many short-sighted people on FR, not to mention in Illinois.

You can't underestimate Illinois voters. Think of Carole Mosley Braun. In any event, nothing on FR is going to affect the outcome of the Illinois senate race.

The Republicans there faced a difficult situation when their candidate bailed, and they took a big gamble which hasn't worked out. The best that can come out of Illinois is to learn the lesson of what not to do in a crisis situtation.

Between now and November, we need to concentrate all efforts on close, winable races.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

1. He didn't trash Cheney's daughter.
2. If it is wrong to bash a Republican, wouldn't it be wrong to bash Keyes? I would think the rule would go double for CANDIDATE Republicans.

I do not like a couple of Keyes positions, but HECK! I was forced to tolerate all liberal Republican primetime speakers at the convention. I like their positions even less. This "don't bash a Republican" seems to work only one direction. We are supposed to give up the fight on protecting marriage becuase we might hurt the feelings of a half-way Republican? I don't think so. Hedonism is not a word invented by Keyes, and he didn't actually apply it to Mary Cheney himself. It was a connection made by the interviewer and Keyes responded "by definition, yes."