Is Alan Keyes Making Sense?

Strike The Root ^ | March 13, 2002 | Jef Allen

[humbletheFiend]

Allen is a paleo-Vallandighamite.

All I know is that if he would just visit the Declaration Foundation (see above for link), watch the Alan Keyes show, and let me talk to him for an hour or so, he would be a neo-Keyesian.

Like me and you.

[humbletheFiend]

BUSH-KEYES

2004

[Torie]

I think you need some rest. Keyes hasn't changed. He is just addressing more issues on his show in more depth, than he did on the campaign trail. And on a lot of those issus he is a mainstream very conservative Pubbie (like on the national sales tax, which I find horrific). In fact, he is probably to the right of Bush on almost every issue I can think of, but not in a Buchanan or Browne or third party kind of way. But I do find it encouraging that he hasn't talked about the evils of "globalism" post campaign, which he mouthed a couple of times during the campaign. That was a low point.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

The return of the real Alan Keyes has been a source of a great deal of pain for some of the paleo-Keyesians.

That seems likely, assuming this taxonomy even exists. What surprises me is the discovery that VA Advogado is a paleo-Keyesian! Who would have thought it!

[humbletheFiend]

Why don't you review the transcripts of the Alan Keyes is Making Sense show and see if you can find any criticisms of President Bush.

Then you will understand.

[Torie]

I didn't say he was dumping on Bush much. In fact the show is more about issues than personalities. What good would it do to say that Bush was an enabler of the slave income tax? That would be a distraction.

[humbletheFiend]

What surprises me is the discovery that VA Advogado is a paleo-Keyesian! Who would have thought it!

We should not rejoice in anyone's pain.

It has been very difficult for some of them to discover that the real Alan Keyes is a "Bush Republican."

[humbletheFiend]

I didn't say he was dumping on Bush much.

No, he's not dumping on Bush at all. He's feeling much better about himself this year. The 2000 campaign is now finally behind him.

He now supports all of the President's policies and provides the President with moral guidance.

[Torie]

He now supports all of the President's policies

You definitely need rest. :)

[humbletheFiend]

I'll bet you haven't finished reading those transcripts yet, have you?

[Howlin]

and provides the President with moral guidance

I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Bush goes to bed before 10 every night; I seriously doubt he's ever in a position to HEAR what Keyes is saying.

[humbletheFiend]

My President hears just about everything. He knows exactly what's going on.

[LarryLied]

You're so full of crap on that one I feel like sending you a bulk pack of toilet paper.

Harvard conservatives in the Keyes/Kristol era were big fans of Leo Strauss. Aside from the Straussian elitism anyone who listens to Keyes for five minutes is aware of, Keyes also displays a Straussian concept of the social utility of religion and patriotism. That is what his comments about this editorial cartoon are all about.

[Howlin]

Well, I doubt the Bushes are a Neilsen family, so we'll never know if he hears Keyes at all, will we? I'm just assuming Bush has bigger fish to fry that Alan Keyes; I'm betting he hasn't given him a second thought since the last time they were at a debate together.

[rdf]

Hmmm...This is going to get silly, at best, if you don't lighten up a bit.

Just a friendly word.

Cheers,

Richard F.

[Howlin]

if you don't lighten up a bit

What will happen?

[deport]

You definitely need rest. :)

LOL... That was Clarity's line for a long time....

[rdf]

As I said,

Hmmm...This is going to get silly, at best...

Anyway, I bet you and I agree that to some degree, Keyes has made criticisms of the administration on the show. I think rarely and gently, but in any event, I don't agree with "humblethefiend."

I think he's funny and cheerful, but on his fixed idea, wrong.

Cheers,

Richard F.