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?

[EternalVigilance]

I think you're the kook, not Alan Keyes.

[EternalVigilance]

Face it. Keyes' message about the true basis for our freedom and our prosperity, morality, is what makes folks like you hate him so much.

[lara]

Your answer is in your own post. Why would he do things to alienate people of his own party? Keyes is a man of convictions. People are not used to that in a politician. They're used to politicians playing the game & being PC, telling the people what they want to here. I admire Mr. Keyes so much for having the courage of his convictions. And I admire the people who support him, even though they may be called "extreme nut cases" or worse, from their fellow Freepers.

[lara]

If the media reported everything Obama stands for, do you think he would get votes anywhere besides Chicago?

[EternalVigilance]

Well, at least there are a million Illinoisans who are ready for a new start with new leadership.

At some point the corruption has to be dealt with. Might as well be now.

[lara]

Do you think they'll use this as an excuse to have a liberal Republican run next time? I don't believe that Illinois is as liberal as the media would like us to believe.

[lara]

I want Topinka out.

[EternalVigilance]

They'll use any excuse to run liberals.

They never draw the right conclusions from history, ever.

[Dave S]

If the media reported everything Obama stands for, do you think he would get votes anywhere besides Chicago?

Unfortunately, Obama is not the issue. Keyes, through his misguided campaign, has made himself the issue.

[EternalVigilance]

Defintely. She's a total disgrace.

She would make a better chair for the RATs than for the GOP.

[lara]

How is Obama not the issue? That's ridiculous. I get the feeling that defeating Keyes is more important than having a liberal, socialist democrat win. I think I finally get it. People here hate Keyes, more than they do Obama.

[k2blader]

At least a handful of liberal trolls have indeed been zotted off Keyes threads. It is pretty interesting how the anti-Keyes "regulars" come across exactly like them, perhaps even worse, at times.

Also, why do people who don't even live in IL feel such a great need to bash the only conservative Republican in the race? It's freakish.

[Dave S]

People here hate Keyes, more than they do Obama.

Keyes is one of ours. Therefore he is an embarrasment to us. Our party selected him to run. Obama is one of the Dems. He may be wrong but hey we didnt nominate him and we certainly arent voting for him. Obama might be a socialist but no one will ever know it when the comparison is to someone so out of the mainstream as Keyes.

[flaglady47]

"The Republican party in Illinois didn't exist prior to Keyes (President Bush didn't have a campaign effort here until the past month). Our state's party was decimated from within by RINO's over the past 30+ years."

Boy are you right. RINO's are ruining our party here in Illinois. I truly believe they will vote for Obama rather than vote for Keyes. Of course, this will damage Bush who needs as many Pubs as possible in the U.S. Senate. The only thing I take exception to in your comments, is Blagojovich being more conservative. He is in some areas, but now your tolls are going to go from 40 cents to 80 cents on the IL tollways,and truckers are really going to get socked, to fund more highway building & maintenance, even though George Ryan had hit us taxpayers up for the same thing with his Illinois First program a while back. Well, I still find it unfathomable that Illinois Pubs will go into the voting booth on election day and vote for Bush and then vote for Obama? Or not vote for senator at all? They are screwing Bush over by doing this and keeping a Pub out of the Senate. What fools, what RINO's. How disgusting.

[flaglady47]

"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."

Yeah, and I'm sure Obama will bring all these qualities to the table. Enjoy the next 6 years with a democrat socialist bordering on commmunist. Yeah, you're a real boon to the Pub party. We need more like you (sarcasm oozing).

[Dave S]

why do people who don't even live in IL feel such a great need to bash the only conservative Republican in the race? It's freakish.

Because the 17% of Illinois residents who support Keyes are going to cause Illinois two Senatorial seats to be a lost cause for decades. That is two Senate seats that the Republicans nationally have to pick up elsewhere to maintain control and to move towards point where we can shut down filibusters and force votes on Supreme Court nominees and the Bush agenda. A better question is why you have to indulge your fantasies with Keyes rather than run a candidate that would at least keep the state in play.

[Dave S]

President Bush didn't have a campaign effort here until the past month

He didnt need one. Bush had a better chance of winning California or New York. Why waste resources on a state where Keyes is going to depress the Republican vote.

[EternalVigilance]

You're a real piece of....work...

[k2blader]

Are you actually attempting to claim the folks who vote for Keyes will be to blame for the loss of Senate seats?

[EternalVigilance]

Don't confuse him with logic. ;-)