ALAN KEYES, MR. RADIOACTIVE

Realclearpolitics.com ^ | 10-11-04

[SJackson]

Monday, October 11 2004
ALAN KEYES, MR. RADIOACTIVE: Just how bad is Alan Keyes doing in the Illinois Senate race? Let's just say it's hard to imagine him doing any worse. In the three latest polls taken during the past week, Keyes is drawing between 20-24% of the vote while Obama is pushing close to 70%.

To be fair, this was never really about Alan Keyes beating Barack Obama. The minute Jack Ryan dropped out of the race the GOP strategy shifted from winning to trying to field a credible challenger who could do two things: 1) keep Obama occupied and 2) run strong throughout the state to protect down-ballot Republicans from getting swamped. Keyes is failing miserably at both.

Today's Washington Post reports that Obama is so unconcerned with the threat being posed by Alan Keyes that he's now touring the country raising money and campaigning on behalf of John Kerry and other Democrats:

In the past week, Obama has mailed checks totaling $260,000 to Senate candidates in 13 states, including $53,000 to the do-or-die campaign of Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.). He donated $100,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $150,000 to party organizations in key states, including Florida, Wisconsin and Colorado.

Carrying his verbal assault on President Bush beyond state lines, Obama will fly to Los Angeles this week for a Democratic fundraiser and address rallies in Colorado and Nevada for John F. Kerry. In a close presidential race where turnout could prove decisive, Obama said in an interview that he is talking with Kerry advisers about where he can be most effective in the campaign's final days.

"Turnout is huge," Obama said after a Saturday morning rally in the hard-fought presidential battleground of Wisconsin. "If there are selective things that we can do that can be helpful, then we want to do them. The Kerry people are still making determinations as to what states remain in play. Safe to say we will probably have a couple more travel days this month."

Back in Illinois, Keyes is operating in complete isolation. He's alienated almost all of the Republican party operatives throughout the state, starting with his wild-eyed rhetoric about Barack Obama's pro-abortion stance (the "slaveholders'" position, similar to a terrorist, etc) and his attack on Dick Cheney's gay daughter (Keyes called Mary Cheney a "selfish hedonist").

Many members of the Illinois delegation, including the Chairperson of the Party, Judy Baar Topinka, condemned Keyes remarks as "idiotic" and called on him to apologize. (To make matters worse, rumors have been swirling about the sexual preference of Keyes' own daughter for a couple of weeks now. Keyes has refused to comment)

This is how bad it has become: the other night at a GOP fund raising dinner Keyes caused a stir by showing up unannounced - but more importantly, I was told, uninvited. At the dinner a sitting member Congress, speaking semi-privately to the guests at one of the tables, jokingly referred to Keyes as a "lunatic." Everyone at the table laughed and shook their heads in agreement.

The damage Keyes is doing to the GOP in Illinois, however, is no laughing matter. He will be lucky to win 25% of the vote in November and he's become not only a drag on the ballot for Republicans but a weapon for Democrats.

I'll give you a quick example. Beth Coulson is the State Senator from my district. She's a moderate Republican in a moderate to left-leaning district and always a top target of the Democrats. Here's a copy of the latest flier from the Illinois Democratic Party:

Keyes may very well cost Beth Coulson her seat, and perhaps a few others as well. And on November 3rd Alan Keyes will be sitting comfortably on a plane back to Maryland and the Illinois GOP will be in a bigger hole than they were in before Keyes arrived to help dig.

MOTHER TERESA: Can't resist this blurb on Teresa Heinz Kerry from Friday's Tucson Citizen:

In the middle of her [Heinz Kerry's] speech, Bush supporters chimed in with a chant of "four more years." Kerry supporters countered with "four more weeks."

Heinz Kerry told the Bush supporters, "I respect your positions, but you must have manners."

Adele Conover, 54, a science writer and Kerry supporter who had backed Howard Dean, described Heinz Kerry's talk as "sensational."

"She treated them like they were children," she said of how Heinz Kerry talked to the Bush supporters.

Those Bush supporters are just so uncouth, aren't they Teresa?

[quidnunc]

EternalVigilance wrote: Unreal. Hard to understand how so many could act in such a juvenile and suicidal fashion.

In '86 the Demmocrats nominated two LaRouchies for the posts of secretary of state and lt. governor.

The result was almost a decade and a half of Reopublican dominance.

George Ryan's corruption and now the Keyes candidacy is going to do much the same for the Democrats.

[EternalVigilance]

Your equation of Alan Keyes' campaign, one in which he has faced open hostility from even members of his own party, with the corruption of Ryan, is unfair.

[quidnunc]

EternalVigilance wrote: Your equation of Alan Keyes' campaign, one in which he has faced open hostility from even members of his own party, with the corruption of Ryan, is unfair.

What I'm saying is the the cumulative effect of the two is going to make the GOP uncompetative for years.

[EternalVigilance]

It doesn't have to be so.

Clean out the failed leadership, rebuild the grassroots organization, raise up and empower some new leaders, and I think people will be shocked at how quickly the GOP can succeed.

[quidnunc]

EternalVigilance wrote: It doesn't have to be so. Clean out the failed leadership, rebuild the grassroots organization, raise up and empower some new leaders, and I think people will be shocked at how quickly the GOP can succeed.

Downstate — even the part south of I-70 — does not have a Bible Belt mentality.

The culture war doesn't sit well with those folks.

Manzullo and the other goofs who brought Keyes into the race have done real damage to the GOP.

The Republicans have ont proven that they can govern, so they'll be on the outside looking inb for some time.

For instance, we had license plates made to last four years for sixteen years, it took a Democrat in office for us to get new plates.

Folks make judgments on little things like that.

[EternalVigilance]

Obviously all Keyes' fault.

/sarcasm

[quidnunc]

The fact is that Keyes brings nothing to the table which is of interest to a farmer in Ford Co. or a merchant in Macomb.

They want good government, not an out-of-stater yelling at them about stuff that doesn't amount to a pinch if manure to them.

[EternalVigilance]

The fact is that Keyes brings nothing to the table which is of interest to a farmer in Ford Co. or a merchant in Macomb.

Sorry man, but you're just plain wrong.

Alan has been a property rights leader for many years.

He is an advocate for fundamental tax reform.

He brings more to the table for them over the long haul then just about anyone I can think of.

[lara]

Unbelievable. The RINO's here must feel so proud that they're spouting the same garbage the trolls are. In this race, fellow freepers have joined the liberals and I find that extremely sad.

[lara]

Great. All they're going to do is help get Obama elected. Oberweiss compared conservatives to the Taliban on Steve Dahl's show. I was glad he wasn't chosen as the nominee.

[quidnunc]

lara wrote: Great. All they're going to do is help get Obama elected. Oberweiss compared conservatives to the Taliban on Steve Dahl's show. I was glad he wasn't chosen as the nominee.

Face it, Keyes is not going to be elected and in fact never had a ghost of a chance of being elected.

Politics is the art of the possible and Keyes was never a viable possibility.

[quidnunc]

lara wrote: Unbelievable. The RINO's here must feel so proud that they're spouting the same garbage the trolls are. In this race, fellow freepers have joined the liberals and I find that extremely sad.

I have a friend who is a die-hard Republican.

He was a member of the John Birch Society for a time back in the '60s and '70s.

Right now his yard is full of signs for Bush and other GOP candidates.

But he voted against George Ryan because he was a crook and he's voting against Keyes because he considers him to be a crackpot.

[lara]

If Keyes doesn't have a chance it's only because the media has been on Obama's side from day one. I expect that kind of thing from the liberal, biased media. Not from fellow Republicans.

[lara]

A vote against Keyes is a vote for Obama. He's not as "die-hard" as you think he is.

[Dave S]

Clean out the failed leadership, rebuild the grassroots organization, raise up and empower some new leaders, and I think people will be shocked at how quickly the GOP can succeed

Not if led by people who think that leach Keyes is the new Messiah, the great savior of the Illinois Republican Party, the grand poobah of "Conservatism". Lesson 101 of politics is that you have to win to change policies. Keyes is a "feel good" candidate. All he does is make the extreme nut cases feel good that they have someone speaking for them. Little do they know they only represent 17% of the state. Wouldnt that be something if a write in of Oberweiss exceeded Keyes actually vote total. LOL

[EternalVigilance]

I will restrain myself from saying what I really think of you for deposting that steaming pile here on a thread at Free Republic.

[Dave S]

Alan has been a property rights leader for many years. He is an advocate for fundamental tax reform. He brings more to the table for them over the long haul then just about anyone I can think of.

Then why doesnt the goof ball talk about those topics instead of getting sidelined into gaybashing, abortion, and racial reparations. The cultural conservatives are already going to vote for him whether he mentions those topics or not (wink wink) and racial reparations are not going to buy him a single vote. Those that would be interested reparations are already going to vote for Obama.

Obamas speech at the Dem convention was to position him as this great moderate. Keyes has done more to make Obama look moderate than anything that Obama himself could ever do.

[EternalVigilance]

He has talked about all those issues in great depth; far greater depth than most all other candidates ever do. But the Dems, the media and the RINOs ignore it...just like you do.

And unfortunately, to date, too many Illinoisans have listened to you all instead of to him.

[Dave S]

If Keyes doesn't have a chance it's only because the media has been on Obama's side from day one.

No, its because of everything that proceeds from Keyes mouth. If the media reported everything that Keyes did and said and was completely unbiased, Keyes would still find a way to turn out more than 75% of the electorate. The American people can generally detect kooks by just listening to what the candidates do and say.

[Dave S]

I will restrain myself from saying what I really think of you for deposting that steaming pile here on a thread at Free Republic.

Good, then you wont embarass yourself the way Keyes has the people of Illinois.