It's not a reasonable proposition at all(though that wouldn't keep the media from trying).
He obviously would make them look more moderate by comparison.
Moving the conservative definition further creates more "moderates"- by definition.
I don't see Keyes as an "extreme" conservative at all...He's just conservative...A Republican is either conservative, or less than conservative...
Isn't it funny how people invent phrases to made the "normal" look extreme to justify themselves???
GO, KEYES, GO...
What it does is push fence-sitting voters over the line -- to the Democrats. There are a lot of rational people out there who just can't swallow the obnoxious stuff that Keyes dishes out, and when someone like that gets elected as a Republican, and embraced by Republicans, the forces pushing the always-vote-Democrat-'cause-Republicans-are-a-bunch-of-troglodytes line have more ammo in their arsenal.
A huge number of American voters have a friend, relative, or co-worker who is gay and not deserving of dismissal as a "selfish hedonist", and they are very reasonably irked by that sort of hostile, blanket statement. Was Father Mychal Judge, who lost his life trying to minister to those injured and dying in the WTC attack a "selfish hedonist"? These voters hear "Republican" Keyes mouthing of like this, and it definitely impacts their overall voting behavior.
And Keyes' reparations nonsense makes me seriously wonder whether he really does grasp basic conservative political concepts. He seems to have political principles which are easily and impulsively overridden every time an issue comes up that he feels especially emotional about.
There's something to be said for teaching political parties a lesson when they field candidates with wacko tendencies. I voted for the Democratic candidate for my state legislature representive, since the incumbent Republican (Wallis Brooks) was showering me and the rest of the district with gun-grabbing propaganda and promises. She got voted out of office, and the state Republican party and other potential Republican candidates no doubt took notice. I'm sure we'll get a better candidate next time. Believe me, I don't like helping the corrupt Pennsylvania Democratic machine in any way, but it was a necessary step towards a more important longer term goal.