Posted on 04/26/2008 5:34:17 PM PDT by deport
Constitution Party stunner: Chuck Baldwin KOs firebrand Alan Keyes
Convening its national convention in Kansas City today, the Constitution Party picked radio talk-show host Chuck Baldwin over former Ambassador Alan Keyes as its 2008 presidential candidate.
The pick was seen as something of an upset, given Keyes' higher national profile. Known for his fiery stem-winders, Keyes is a two-time GOP presidential candidate who abandoned the Republican Party this month to join the Constitution Party, which believes in limited government and is committed to ending abortion and bringing American troops home from Iraq.
But Baldwin's roots in the Constitution Party run deeper. He was the party's 2004 vice-presidential candidate, and party members said his stands were more in line with party thinking.
"Chuck is the real deal," said Jim Clymer, the party's national chairman.
Still, the two waged a fierce battle described as the most contentious in the party's 16-year history. Baldwin wound up winning easily on a 384-126 vote. The Missouri and Kansas delegations basically split their votes between the two.
"They just rejected the most qualified man to be president," said Tom Hoefling of Lohrville, Iowa, Keyes' national political director. "Chuck Baldwin will have no impact on this election whatsoever."
The party's immediate tasks, Clymer said, are raising money and gaining ballot access in each state. The party now has qualified to be on the ballots of 21 states. He expects the eventual total to top 40 and include Kansas and Missouri.
"We're always short on money," Clymer said.
In his acceptance speech, Baldwin said his presidency would result in the ending of illegal immigration, abortion, the streamlining of the federal government, the tapping of oil reserves in Alaska and withdrawal from Iraq.
"We will stop the international meddling...this international empire-building," Baldwin said.
When he takes office, Baldwin said, "The new world order comes crashing down!"
He pledged not only to pull out of the United Nations, but to push the international organization out of New York.
"The U.N. is going to have to find themselves another (home) because their rent is up in New York City," he said.
He said he would phase out the Internal Revenue Service and end the paying of personal income taxes. He said the country should return to the gold standard.
Home schoolers, he said, would have the best friend they ever had in the White House.
Really? Which one do you and Alan have in mind?
You live in Texas. There is no possibility whatsoever that the GOP will lose Texas. So how is your vote any more significant than that of a Texan who votes third-party? The Republicans are getting the electoral votes either way. Why be a McCain whore if you don't have to?
And the hilarious part is these people who constantly freak about Keyes go into convusions when it comes to Ron Paul too. These folks love boring, status quo politicians like St. George.
I didn’t vote for him in the primary, even though everyone else except the idiot Ron Paul had dropped out.
But I will not take the slightest chance of letting Texas cast its electoral votes for either Hillary or Obama.
How many people in Kansas City knew they were holding a convention?
Alan Keys (and the Illinois Republican Party’s death wish) got us Senator Obama.
Isolationism and the abolition of drug laws. Most Americans are not in tune with that.
Well, just for starters, the name is ridiculous.
This was the opportunity the Constitution Party had to finally take a major step forward and become relevant in an election, but failed. They will now have to bear the consequences of their actions, much like the Republican Party has to do now.
I watched much of the live streaming and indeed Keyes is as open and honest as any person I have ever seen. Keyes understands the most important venue is the “venue of individual hearts.” He will not tell somebody what they want to hear, but rather what they NEED to hear. No pandering. Most people would call that a deficiency, but not people such as ourselves who value honesty, integrity, and nothing but the truth.
Listening to Dr. Keyes’ post-nomination speech to his supporters, and it was remarkable how well he took the disappointing result when he had every right to be upset and furious, with all the backstabbing and pettiness. He sums up a great Christian attitude and truth when he says, “If you have lost the entire world and all you have left is God… you have in truth the greatest treasure in the world.”
Despite all the petty hate and venom that fools hurl toward Dr. Keyes, Keyes always stands tall because he stands on integrity, while the fools stand on foolishness.
The choice was offered; the choice was rejected. The results are what the voters who rejected the choice will have to live with; the consequences of their actions will be revealed and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And they will have nobody to blame but themselves.
it was but illusion
I’ve got to appreciate your sense of humor. Seems eerily familiar.....
Well, he or his campaigns have a tendency to leave a lot of unpaid bills after his election campaigns.....word gets around about that type of thing. But, I love to listen to him give a speech!! Same with Buchannan but I can’t vote for either.
Stay tuned. It will become apparent soon enough.
Thank God for people like yourself with a clear eye, an open ear, and an honest heart. Precious few of them these days it would seem.
Aren’t you supposed to be Out Wandering Around somewhere?
Well, don't wait until October to tell us which party Alan will ride to the White House.
It sounds like you have a supersecret plan, so I'll stay tuned.
I don’t know what that means.
Looks like I won't be casting a presidential vote this fall.
Standard palaeo hostility (the USA being the "new Israel" in the Rushdoonian "reconstructionist" worldview). Baldwin used to be with Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority but the Birchites got to him and he turned against Israel.
Keyes was rejected because he is pro-Israel, and the CP honchos regard the "Zionists" as the "secret power" behind the "new world order."
A “We didn’t want it anyway” ping...
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