He has debated both Bush and Obama. Apparently his debating skills were not sufficient for him to win the elections against these candidates.
Try starting the election process in Conservative country instead of RINO land and see how that works out for you.
Keyes' debating skills are fine, his ideology is purely conservative and lacks the "moderate" slant that appeals to a majority of voters. Reagan was unsuccessful in early attempts until 4 years of Carter made him acceptable to anyone with a brain.
Look for a repeat of history in 2012 after 4 years of Obamanomics returns us to gas lines, stagflation, 18% interest rates and malaise