Losing them has serious consequences. IMO, the GOP has gone off course, but Keyes is not the guy to correct that course. The fact that he cannot give an honest reading of Brown's positions means he is ill-suited to function effectively in the political arena. Someone like Palin, who can appeal to a large swath of people, who has won elections, and who does not feel compelled to lie about the positions of others, is much better suited. But Keyes turns around and attacks her conservative purity as well.
I like her, but her debate against Biden was painful. Her coming out speech at the convention was spectacular, but it was downhill fom there.
Keyes' sound reason is absolutely the right thing to correct the course.