Comments on: Illinois Surprise

By: Booker Rising

Booker Rising — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 20:26:26 +0000

Bloggers Comment on Keyes as a Senate Candidate
What do black moderates and conservatives have to say about the possible historical matchup of two black candidates for the U.S. Senate?

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 00:39:27 +0000

>I s’pose I shouldn’t be shocked to see only half the >picture, but, for the record, these guys were mostly >elected before “civil rights” could be uttered as a >legitimate political issue.

There was surely debate with regard to amending the Constitution on those points. I have no reason to believe that such debate was in any sense illegitimate.

>Revels: 1870
>Bruce: 1875

Revels served part of a term, and Bruce a full term. At that point the state legislature of Mississippi selected its Senators. Southern Republicans were doing something that may have made even some of them bristle since they were living in a reconstructed South where segments of the population that had been confederates could not vote but likely still made their voices heard.

>Brooke: 1966 (and he’s from “Liberal” hotbed Massachusetts >at that

That was when Massachusetts was still classically liberal, then. If not for the Kennedy mystique, Massachusetts probably wouldn’t get the bum rap as a hotbed and simply be a bed.

>What have the Republicans done lately?

Herman Cain was almost nominated from Georgia, for one thing, which would have been a cruise to election, like Obama appeared to have scored.

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 23:45:28 +0000

Whether Alan Keyes wins or not, the race should be an interesting one to watch given that there hasn’t previously been two black men duking it out for a Senate seat. The whole carpetbagging issue re: Hilary was pretty silly anyway, and was just one more thing to tack on to the reasons why she shouldn’t have, but was pretty much expected to, win her seat. An answer from Alan Keyes on it would be great, and of course so would many answers on many things from Obama. Does anyone know what the guy stands for?

I don’t buy into the notion that being conservative loses black votes in and of itself. If not for Jesse Jackson telling people to vote Democratic from the pulpit, conservative social policies would garner support from far more than 10% of the congregation. The fear must be incapacitating with regards to economic issues for a liberal of any color to win the votes of those who are socially conservative.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 17:47:20 +0000

Hard to kick butt if one gets tore up in debate. Watch for Obama to avoid a real debate, or two, by any means necessary.

By: Expatlse

Expatlse — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 17:36:18 +0000

I do not think the GOP is going to win this one. Obama will kick butt. The GOP should spend there money elsewhere, where there is an actual chance to win.

By: Deb

Deb — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 16:51:33 +0000

I am sure the carpetbagging will be an issue. Since when do the dems refrain from crucifying someone just because they have done the same?

I love Keyes. I hope he accepts.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 15:55:27 +0000

Dave, I agree. Democrats proposed that prior residency doesn’t matter and the people have spoken.

What’s good for the goose…

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 15:24:44 +0000

Hypocrisy is hypocrisy. But it’s pretty difficult for Democrats to complain about it at this point cf. Hillary Clinton, Rahm Emanuel, etc. I doubt it will be a campaign issue.

By: La Shawn

La Shawn — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 11:13:51 +0000

Expatlse – If true, you make a good point. Hypocrisy is hypocrisy.

By: Expatlse

Expatlse — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 10:12:25 +0000

Who is going to bring up the hypocrisy? Of Keyes that is. ABC-7 in Chicago found this Keyes quote from 2000 about Hillary Clinton’s run in New York: “I deeply resent the destruction of federalism represented by Hillary Clinton’s willingness go into a state she doesn’t even live in and pretend to represent people there, so I certainly wouldn’t imitate it.”

By: Wallace-Midland, Texas

Wallace-Midland, Texas — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 04:57:56 +0000

Alan Keyes…..”speaks a little Russian and ancient Greek”

I’d much prefer to vote for a man who speaks ancient Greek than for a man who speaks “flip-flop”.

By: Trubador

Trubador — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 03:29:53 +0000

Yah beat me by 3 minutes, Glittering Eye (hee-hee).

By: Trubador

Trubador — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 03:28:50 +0000

Yahoo just put up a news link:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=683&ncid=716&e=10&u=/ap/20040805/ap_on_el_se/illinois_senate

The Illinois State Republican Party has officially asked Keyes to be their Senate candidate! Keyes states that he wants to take a few days to seriously consider the offer. Should be reeeeeeally interesting if he accepts.

By: The Glittering Eye

The Glittering Eye — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 03:25:12 +0000

And the candidate is…
The Illinois Republican Party has announced that they have selected economist and television personality Alan Keyes as their candidate for the U. S. Senate post being vacated by Peter Fitzgerald in the election on November 2, 2004. I’ll post links…

By: RepJ

RepJ — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 01:47:51 +0000

I’d love to see Alan Keyes in the Senate! What a wonderful CONSERVATIVE man. Regardless which ones wins the Republican nomination, there will be two black Republican candidates running for the senate. There is also a man in Georgia who will most likely win that seat.