Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Keyes' candidacy will expose rift within GOP
St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 08/07/2004 | Kevin McDermott

Posted on 08/07/2004 7:24:44 PM PDT by Graybeard58

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - At one point during last week's Republican leadership gathering in Chicago, the debate over conservative activist Alan Keyes grew so contentious that journalists standing outside the closed doors heard - and reported - the shouting.

The Illinois Republican State Central Committee later barred reporters from the entire floor where they were meeting to choose their party's new candidate for the U.S. Senate.

But with Keyes' candidacy likely to become official Sunday, it will be much tougher for Republican leaders to hide the internal strife in their divided party.

On Wednesday night the committee formally asked Keyes - a former United Nations ambassador and two-time presidential candidate who has never lived in Illinois - to run against Democratic candidate Barack Obama for Illinois' open Senate seat. All indications are that Keyes will accept, kicking off his campaign Sunday at a Chicago-area rally.

Keyes will replace Jack Ryan, whom Republicans nominated in the primaries for the Senate. Ryan bowed out of the race last month amid embarrassing sexual allegations.

While Keyes' candidacy solves one problem for the GOP, it generates another: His far-right views on most major issues will, once again, highlight the deep fissure in the Illinois GOP between moderates - like former Govs. Jim Edgar and James Thompson - and the more conservative wing, which has been trying for years to move the party rightward.

"The state party is divided in the same way the national party is divided. The difference in Illinois is that the more moderate branch tends to run the board," noted political scientist John S. Jackson of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. "The hard-right decided they wanted this ... but it will magnify the fault lines" with moderates.

Shouts and silence

The first rumblings of that fault line were heard through the cl

(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: alan; alankeyes; carpetbagger; grifter; hehasfaithingod; heisprogun; heisprolife; hypocricy; keyes; sameashillary; saveamerica; stophillary
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 661-674 next last
To: PaleoPal
"Dornan devolved into a clown."

Well, yes. But he was entertaining, and a fiery orator.

Keyes is an intellectual bulldog. The place for him in the GOP is up front, and showing teeth.

21 posted on 08/07/2004 8:03:21 PM PDT by NicknamedBob (When you've forgotten your drink, you've had enough! ... Unless it's coffee -- then you need more!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: RedBloodedAmerican
Nope hillary pushed her self upon the people of new yolk, she should have ran in Illinois or Arkansa,..

Keyes has been asked to run in Illinois.

Cause the pubbie have been totally decimated by the ryan's and the daley mob.

Dare I mention madigan's also.

22 posted on 08/07/2004 8:04:26 PM PDT by dts32041 (Why has John "Fning" Kerry accused me of being a War Criminal? Viet Nam APR 70- NOV 71)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Graybeard58
Sending Keyes to Illinois is like sending St Peter to pagan Rome. He will not win them over night but just plant seeds.
23 posted on 08/07/2004 8:09:42 PM PDT by etradervic (Kerry is a Left Wing Dinosaur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Graybeard58

It's the same ol' slant from the liberal press.

Republicans are "deeply divided" between far far extremist right wing Taliban faction and the "moderate" faction, which of course is sensible in the reporter's eyes.

Really. Reporters apparently think that all Republicans are so rigid they cannot accept a person who perhaps thinks slightly differently than themselves.

Although some Repubs may be that way (as are some Dems), I have found the vast majority of Republicans to be very accomedating.


24 posted on 08/07/2004 8:10:31 PM PDT by Edit35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Amelia
And there's always a place for the angry young man,
With his fist in the air and his head in the sand.
And he's never been able to learn from mistakes,
So he can't understand why his heart always breaks.
But his honor is pure and his courage as well,
And he's fair and he's true and he's boring as hell-
And he'll go to the grave as an angry old man.
25 posted on 08/07/2004 8:12:17 PM PDT by drjimmy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Graybeard58
Keys and I are not on the same page on a few issues, but he will not be my congressman.

But on the other hand, he would be better than the Blue dog I have.

26 posted on 08/07/2004 8:13:15 PM PDT by Cold Heat (http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=20040531140357545)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Graybeard58
it will be much tougher for Republican leaders to hide the internal strife in their divided party.

OK, now this statement is pure BS!

We don't hide it!

27 posted on 08/07/2004 8:15:29 PM PDT by Cold Heat (http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=20040531140357545)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Amelia

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


28 posted on 08/07/2004 8:18:45 PM PDT by deport (Please Flush the Johns......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: BackInBlack; William Creel
Well, I agree with Keyes on most issues, but I consider myself pretty far to the right. He talks about abolishing the income tax, abolishing social security and medicare, etc. I'm really glad that he has the intellectual integrity to take such positions. But you won't find many people -- present company excluded -- who share them.

That's what they used to say about tax cuts. That line of reasoning leads to defeatism. Instead, recognize that we have opportunities to educate people on solutions that public schools and mainstream media have ignored or ridiculed.

29 posted on 08/07/2004 8:19:07 PM PDT by Huber (Kerry/Edwards = "Tax 'em & Sue 'em" . Vote Bush/Cheney '04)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Graybeard58

So there is going to be a rift between the REAL Republicans and RINO's.

Good.


30 posted on 08/07/2004 8:23:52 PM PDT by Chewbacca (John Kerry is such a smeghead.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Amelia

Careless seems the great Avenger; history's page but record
One death- grapple in the darkness 'twist old system and the Word;
Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne, --
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.


31 posted on 08/07/2004 8:25:52 PM PDT by Engraved-on-His-hands
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: RedBloodedAmerican; BackInBlack
I can hear the cries now if I wrote "Finally, a white candidate I can vote for!"

You're kidding, right?

32 posted on 08/07/2004 8:26:41 PM PDT by Dolphy (Support swiftvets.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: ClaireSolt
It will be intereting to follow the race in the black community, though.

I predict 92% or better of the IL black vote goes for black Democrat Obama(sp?) vs 8% for black Republican Keyes. It wouldn't change much if Obama were white as the new fallen snow as long as he has the magic "D" after his name on the ballot.

When it comes to voting, black Americans seem to have a more deeply seated habit of voting Democrat than a chain smoker has of lighting up Winstons. Both habits are very bad for you and neither one makes any sense.

33 posted on 08/07/2004 8:36:04 PM PDT by epow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: BackInBlack
Is it possible to convince many blacks that many of the principles they may have are actually conservative? School choice, solid churchgoers, marriage between a man and a woman, I'm sure there are others.

Democrats have controlled almost all of the large cities where large black populations have been trapped by liberal policies...can you convince them it's about time to give some thought to trying something else?? Is it just that the word "Republican" has been so demonized that they can't imagine being affiliated with "it"?

Hang in there.

34 posted on 08/07/2004 8:38:26 PM PDT by cfrels
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: BackInBlack
But you won't find many people -- present company excluded -- who share them.

Too true.

Few things could happen in the coming election, other than seeing Bush beat Kerry of course, that would please me more than seeing Keyes win in IL.

Unfortunately it won't happen. I'm afraid IL will be painted in blue for the foreseeable future. Bringing in an out of state candidate for the U.S. Senate, even one of Keyes' stature, is an admission of desperation.

Besides that, Obama is the annointed darling of the Democrats this year. No way the machine will let him lose even if they have to register every tombstone in Chicagoland.

35 posted on 08/07/2004 8:59:24 PM PDT by epow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: BackInBlack

I hear you BackInBlack, fight the good fight. And know that you live in the finest city in the USA. I get out there quite a bit.


36 posted on 08/07/2004 9:00:17 PM PDT by LongsforReagan (Democrats =Girly Men)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Amelia; Southflanknorthpawsis; Howlin; deport

Ping to #7. I thought it was $7500...but it's $75k?


37 posted on 08/07/2004 9:04:21 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Some of my best friends are white, middle-class males.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Agitate; StarCMC; TheEngineer; Bahbah; MOgirl; EagleMamaMT; LIB_CRUSHER; kid_in_kc; ...

Ping


38 posted on 08/07/2004 9:07:52 PM PDT by Missouri
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mastequilla
Keyes should be delivering the convention keynote.

It's not going to happen.

39 posted on 08/07/2004 9:08:35 PM PDT by Howlin (Saving Private Hamster)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: mastequilla
Keyes should be delivering the convention keynote.

Ever heard the man speak? Last time I heard him - shrill + boring, though I agree with his message and gave a bunch of $$ for his run for Pres.

Did he get a voice coach, yet?

40 posted on 08/07/2004 9:10:04 PM PDT by don-o (Stop Freeploading. Do the right thing and sign up for a monthly donation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 661-674 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson