Jack Ryan won the nomination in a March primary, and dropped out three months later in June. Two months after that, in August, Keyes became the candidate. During that two months the GOP was in Senatorial limbo, even looking at the possibility of Mike Ditka stepping in. I recall Ditka on the radio talking about it, and not saying he wouldn’t do it, although of course this didn’t go anywhere.
By the time Keyes blew in from Maryland, the GOP candidacy was a complete joke, and Keyes presence merely saved them from the deeper ignominy of having no candidate at all.
Ambassador Keyes was completely used. The whole race after Ryan’s departure was a sham and a sideshow. There was a perfectly excellent incumbent Senator by the name of Peter Fitzgerald, but because he was opposed by the IL Combine (a cliquish collusion of corrupt “business as usual” pols from both parties), he had to be run out of office after a single term. Once Ryan, too, was run out after that divorce records business, the IL GOP Combiners were perfectly happy to let Obama waltz into office (just so long as he didn’t threaten their power within the party). Keyes was a joke to them, used to the hilt, as they had zero intention of giving him support to win. They very well could’ve recruited a candidate that could win, but they CHOSE not to. Sadly, the Ambassador was not in on the joke and had no clue he was being used.
A poll showed Ditka leading Obama, (or trailing narrowly, I forget). That would have been so awesome.