Keyes' candidacy will expose rift within GOP

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 08/07/2004 | Kevin McDermott

[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

[tame]

Even his luddite, xenophobic, abortion doctor shooting followers

What an idiotic statement. You are basically calling the founder of this website an "abortion doctor shooting follower".

[Lazamataz]

I don't want to get in this, because 'when elephants fight the grass gets trampled', but I do feel compelled to say one thing:

BTW - I refused to answer anything at all about SAS...I will tell you, like I told mojo, like I told LOTF, that I won't answer any questions about SAS, my involvement in it, nor will I say one bad thing about the organization or the people running it.

I lived with technochick for nearly two years and in that entire time, I never saw or heard her do or say one unethical, illegal or immoral thing in any aspect of her life, and especially in any aspect of SAS.

[myself6]

Hmmmm.... I read your profile.


Sorry, not impressed. If your profile is true then you are nothing more than a political hack who plays within the constraints of the system. This war will NOT be won within the constraints of a system that was midwifed by socialists (democrat and republican).

What I meant by fight, is doing what it takes to actually rid this country's government of socialists and socialist policies. That goal will not be completed in the political arena created by the libs. The game MUST be changed, the rules altered or ignored.

Illinois is a lost cause for republicans right now. There is no way to get by corrupt city governments, fraudulent voters and fraudulent vote counters. The Illinois republican party also has a high percentage of retarded members. I may live in Wisconsin but I work in Illinois and MAN most of the republicans there are just f--king stupid (freepers excluded).

The fact is, the libs NEVER saw this coming. They are scrambling right now. Now is the time to hit them with the other fist, bring out one or two of his skeletons. Stop bitching about something that probably cant be won anyway and lets get around to making Osama look as bad as we can possibly can. So we turn this into a circus? Big damn deal! The rats have been doing it successfully for decades.

Who knows, If its played right ( it wont be, Illinois republican party members are crack heads ) there is a very slim chance Keyes may win, and that is at least a slim chance more than what was there before.

[myself6]

I call em as I seem em buddy, and up to this point dolt and dork seem to fit you perfectly.


Laughter is a good thing.


In this case "creds" are nothing more than group membership patches. The more you have, the more undesirables you are in my eyes. The people with "creds" all think the same way, their actions and their words are predictable.


Good idea, you should stick to discussing only what you know. Intelligence and Common Sense must be foreign concepts to you. But good for you for knowing your limitations.

I could really give a sh-t who or what Alan Keyes is or was besides a brilliant orator who attracts national attention and talks a mighty good anti socialist game. If the Illinois repubs were smart (their not, so dont get excited) they would take this opportunity to hit osama and the democrats from more directions. Keyes entering the race has "sucked up all the oxygen" from Osama, lets see if they make use of this.

[Area51]

I know this is going to shock you, but he's really not that important to people.

There are a number of people here who don't like Keyes. They see an article. They comment on it. They get rebuttal, and they discuss the issues. That hardly qualifies as a "smear campaign".

Unbelievable.


129 posted on 08/07/2004 11:24:32 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Some of my best friends are white, middle-class males.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

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Let's see, daughterofIwoVet, nonpardons, texasforever...Damned almost a full fledged Guild Party.

Why is it I am figuring in just a bit the rest will arrive after the personal invitations are sent out, and I am only at post 129. ;)

If we used the same logic they have been splattering all over the site that claims critizising Bush is actaully supporting Kerry and just changed names I wonder how they would like it.

Like You must be a UN Loving, Socialist, Open Border, Ted Kennedy type Liberal if you don't support Keyes because there is only two choices. Conservative Alan Keyes or Obama the RAT. You shouldn't be at this site if you are doing that because that is NOT what this site is about.

Anyone remember that?

Is that crickets I hear?

[Area51]

I'll say it. He's a sacrificial lamb. He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl and he's always at home with his back to the wall. He's proud of the scars and the battles he's lost He struggles and bleeds as he hangs on his cross But it's okay. He's been doing it for years.
Finally, someone who understands Alan Keyes.


259 posted on 08/08/2004 6:24:31 AM PDT by joesbucks
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Well there you have it Joe. The masses keep voting for idiots that they claim "can Win" without thinking over what happens when you elect a compromiser. Year after year, proposal after proposal, bill after bill, and budget after budget the middle of the roaders keep dreaming to themselfs that one of these days when the Moon, wind, stars, fish, snails and earthworms are all in alignement their leader will actually show a spine and do something conservative. But it never happens for fear that they will upset the fencestraddlers.

After 10-20 years your Political Party looks just like the opposition, now why in the world would that be?

[Sabertooth]

No one in the FRN has been seeking 'tooth out.

I guess that explains why you didn't flag me to this and that post on this thread where you injected your opinions about me, without provocation.

My only previous post on this thread was here, where I complimented another poster on an interesting question they'd raised about Alan Keyes and Hillary Clinton, and which had nothing to do with you or any of your activities.

Nevertheless, I will continue to observe the unwritten rule, and refrain from refuting anything you've flung.

Regards

[EternalVigilance]

I don't care what anybody else says; I trust the people who talked to me about what happened there.

That could be your motto.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

No. That doesn't mean the President is above criticism. Heaven forbid!

I agree - but one might get the impression that Alan Keyes is. I find that odd.

And I was simply pointing out that President Bush has been better to Alan Keyes than Alan Keyes has been to him. Publicly, at least.

That's all.

[Howlin]

That could be your motto.

You're damn right it could be; fortunately for me, the friends I have made on FR don't have a problem with truthfulness.

[EternalVigilance]

You have made yourselves the enemy of conservatives and conservatism.

What you have done in the last couple of days is a disgrace.

[EternalVigilance]

...the friends I have made on FR don't have a problem with truthfulness.

I've seen lots of outright lies and a multitude of gross distortions of the truth from your merry little band of divisive fringers in this case.

How does it feel to be actively working against Republican candidates?

[skeeter]

Conservative Alan Keyes or Obama the RAT. You shouldn't be at this site if you are doing that because that is NOT what this site is about.

BTTT.

[BackInBlack]

Of course there are white candidates I can vote for! That's my entire point. Especially in Illinois, but I presume elsewhere, black candidates tend to be Democrats, and liberal ones at that -- which is disappointing for me as a black Republican. So what's wrong with feeling happy when I see a fellow black man who agrees with me on the issues?

[BackInBlack]

I absolutely agree with you. I'm not saying there's no hope. I'm just saying that, as of now, Keyes IS far right. Our job is to move the public rightward so that's no longer the case.

[1smallVoice]

Keyes has made Illinois a national race and taken a sure thing away from Kerry. The democrats will have to spend time and money in Illinois that they do not have.

I consider anyone from Chicago to be the real 'carpet bagger', I am much more aligned with Keyes and will work to see him elected.

[BackInBlack]

Well, yes, I do think it's possible to cut into the black vote. But that will take more than convincing blacks that they are really conservatives. It will take MAKING them conservative. Sure, most don't believe in gay marriage or abortion. But blacks also tend to believe there are bigger fish to fry -- issues of war and peace, income redistribution, government-provided health care, etc. The key is not to say "You're conservative, vote for Republicans." Rather, it's to convince blacks that liberal policies are doomed to fail, and indeed have already failed.

[Howlin]

I've seen lots of outright lies and a multitude of gross distortions of the truth from your merry little band of divisive fringers in this case.

And, of course, your little band of fringers has been nothing but honest.

Right.

How does it feel to be actively working against Republican candidates?

What's the difference in what we are saying and in what you were saying about Arnold?

[EternalVigilance]

Simply telling the truth will move them rightward.

Fact is, Alan Keyes doesn't represent extremism in any measure. The charge that he somehow does is more a commentary on those making the charge than it is on Alan.

He eloquently represents the principles that have always guided this nation...faith, family and freedom.

[Howlin]

You have made yourselves the enemy of conservatives and conservatism. What you have done in the last couple of days is a disgrace.

Let me get this straight: because I and a lot of other people on this forum have questioned Keyes' statements about Hillary and have actually considered the DAMAGE -- yes, damage -- that he might be doing to the GOP, you have now, in your infinite wisdom, declared us all enemies of conservatism and disgraceful?