Replies

"I wish Keyes would run in a safe GOP state."
Illinois is the ideal place for Keyes to run. There are too many people there who blindly vote Democrat. Keyes is a magnificent debater, knows what he is talking about, has high moral standards that he does not back down from, has a magnificent record in public service and........he's black!
Obama seems to be a nice kid, but he is not dry behind the ears. Keyes will (very nicely) eat him alive. Whether Illinois voters will be honest in choosing the best man....remains to be seen.

I found this:

ELECTION 2004
Illinois dream matchup: Keyes v. Obama
State Republicans choose ambassador as candidate

Posted: August 4, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
ELECTION 2004 Illinois dream matchup: Keyes v. Obama State Republicans choose ambassador as candidate Copyright 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
Illinois Republicans chose Alan Keyes as their candidate today to run against heavily favored Barack Obama, the up-and-coming Democratic Party star.
Republicans were forced to choose a new candidate when their nominee, Jack Ryan, dropped his Senate campaign in late June over embarrassing allegations about his sex life.
Party leaders first tried unsuccessfully to persuade former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka to take the political plunge.
Keyes, a conservative commentator, ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate twice from his home state of Maryland and sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000. He has never lived in Illinois but under state law would only have to take up residence by election day, Nov. 2.
Obama, an Illinois state senator, gave a stirring speech at the Democratic convention that raised his stock with party members who see him as a future presidential candidate.
Keyes, a WorldNetDaily columnist, heads up RenewAmerica and the Declaration Foundation, organizations looking to preserve the founding principles of America.
Obama, the son of a Nigerian immigrant father and a Kansan, was heralded by media during the convention as a centrist, but he has been given perfect 100 scores by liberal groups such as the Planned Parenthood Council, the Illinois Environmental Council, the National Association of Social Workers and Citizen Action Illinois.
He denounced the war in Iraq, saying, "I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars."
Obama received an F grade from the National Rifle Association and a "zero" from the Federation for Right to Life, a pro-life group.
In the Illinois legislature, Obama sponsored a bill to document racial profiling, requiring police officers to record the race, age and gender of anyone they stop. He also has sponsored legislation for universal health care.

Alan Keyes talks with reporters as he arrives for a meeting with the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004, at the Union League Club in Chicago. The State party chairwoman said GOP leaders would interview two-time presidential candidate Keyes and Andrea Grubb Barthwell, a former deputy drug czar in the Bush administration, on Wednesday and then choose one to replace Jack Ryan who dropped his candidacy after embarrassing allegations in his divorce records. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Wed Aug 4, 3:51 PM ET

Alan Keyes (news - web sites) talks with reporters as he arrives for a meeting with the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004, at the Union League Club in Chicago. The State party chairwoman said GOP leaders would interview two-time presidential candidate Keyes and Andrea Grubb Barthwell, a former deputy drug czar in the Bush administration, on Wednesday and then choose one to replace Jack Ryan who dropped his candidacy after embarrassing allegations in his divorce records. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Alan Keyes arrives for a meeting with the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004, at the Union League Club in Chicago. The State party chairwoman said GOP leaders would interview two-time presidential candidate Keyes and Andrea Grubb Barthwell, a former deputy drug czar in the Bush administration, on Wednesday and then choose one to replace Jack Ryan who dropped his candidacy after embarrassing allegations in his divorce records. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Wed Aug 4, 3:51 PM ET

Alan Keyes (news - web sites) arrives for a meeting with the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004, at the Union League Club in Chicago. The State party chairwoman said GOP leaders would interview two-time presidential candidate Keyes and Andrea Grubb Barthwell, a former deputy drug czar in the Bush administration, on Wednesday and then choose one to replace Jack Ryan who dropped his candidacy after embarrassing allegations in his divorce records. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Keyes was just on CBS (in the Chicago area) and announced that he will now CONSIDER the offer and make a decision by Sunday. I guess it's not a done deal yet. If he decides against it the IL GOP will really look like morons (even more than they already do).