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.
I was really hoping that the CP might be taken from the Coughlinites and Birchers (they have had a few pro-Israel local candidates and I hear that there is a lot more sympathy for Israel at the base than in the leadership), but I was wrong. I can't tell you how disappointed I am.
I have voted for Alan Keyes twice in Republican primaries. Like you, I don't understand the hostility toward him. He was certainly head and shoulders above the petty little Israel-haters in the CP whose leader and mouthpiece Baldwin is.
All we can do about the presidential election now is pray, and maybe write in someone (if that can be done since there are no paper ballots anymore).
Aww, that’s cute. Ping me when a member of the Falcon Party holds an elective office as a member of the party.
The Constitution Party is alwyas sayign “To achieve victory, first you must seek it.” They’re not even going to get even a blip of a vote with Baldwin. I cannot believe that they were that DUMB.
Adn Howard’s speech about Dr. Keyes was flat-out vicious, mean-spirited, and vitiolic — as well as untrue. I had thought better of Howard (I used to work for him, once upon a time.) My opinion of him has dropped dramatically.
Taht the chairman of the CP had to rebuke the founder tells you a lot.
I think the party is losing its way.
Alan lost because Howard wanted someone he could control. Aln Keyes is nto that person.
And to think, theyused to be friends.
Tehre will be a candidate to votge for other than McCain or Barr.
A few, actually. The CP holds the decisive State Senate seat in Montana and there are some local officials here and there.
Which he was asked to do because nobody else would do it and someone had to take on that leftist babykiller. Unfortunately, he got in late and his campaign wasn't the best, so the outcome wasn't what we would have liked.
Name one, then, let alone "several."
Would the Falcon Party be interested in someone like Dr. Keyes?
Well, they tried to elect Jim Gilchrist, but fell short. They're currenty working hard for Woody Jenkins, who is thekind of man who would be a great Congressman.
Falcon may be “cute” but they sure as hell ain’t a bunch of pansy ass CINOs like 98% of GOP leadership. You can come see us when we are bitch slapping the GOP candidates. Until then, keep your kneepads handy.
I left the GOP years ago, or rather, it left me. I rejoined briefly to vote for Keyes twice also. I would happily vote for Alan any time that option is aailable.
I have also voted for Phillips, but I am extremely disappointed in Howard. I still appreciate what he has tried to do with the CP, his efforts to build a new home for conservatives. it's unfortunate that it has become what it looks like it has become.
It matters more that we get traitorous elites who are selling out our sovereignty OUT OF POWER. The UN can’t do a single thing that we don’t allow.
“Unilaterally throwing out the UN would breach our nation’s treaty obligations, which, under our Constitution, are “the supreme law of the land.” You would therefore be a lawbreaker and violator of your sacred oath of office.”
Bush got by with it by unilaterally withdrawing from the ABM treaty of ‘72.
Are you saying that was a constitutional no no? If so why wasn’t he impeached?
“The problem is: Alan’s not a lier, or a politician (to be redundant) — he’s a statesman.”
Yeah, it’s soooo statesmanlike to call for reparations for slavery, since there are so many affected by it/sarc.
Chuck Baldwin is the founder and pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church. I took this from their website. I couldn’t find anything about him being anti Israel. Where did you get your information about his anti Israel views? I also checked out JBS.org and could find nothing there about Israel.
“Some of the choice spiritual and political leaders of the nation have spoken in this pulpit including the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, Pat Buchanan, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, and former Ambassador Alan Keyes.”
Unfortunately, Howard Phillips can bear a great deal of responsibility for the CP's status, as he long ago became a reconstructionist John Bircher.
They fashion themselves as the last holdout of true conservatism, but in reality, they are a hideout for anti-Israel, isolationist paleocons who would be perfectly comfortable in the 1930s.
Keyes didn't represent their foreign policy views at all and never had a chance.
Conservatism is in the ICU at present...
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.