Articulating like a preacher on Sunday morning, Alan Keyes has the innate ability to stir emotion. Armed with facts and considerable hyperbole, Keyes has run for Senate and Presidential positions in the past - to no avail. His most recent debate was with Democratic candidate Barack Obama during the latter’s 2004 Senatorial bid. Residing in Maryland, Keyes was named the Republican replacement candidate for Illinois. He lost resoundingly to Obama by 70-27 percent but he did have memorable debates.
Republican Apathy
Keyes has once again decided that the Republican electorate needs stirring in order to stimulate the potential voters into action. He has qualified, as per Iowa law, for the debate and has decided to enter the race. The necessary criterion includes three items:
- An FEC statement of candidacy;
- An Iowa campaign staffer and Iowa campaign office as of October 1 2007 and;
- Have registered at least at 1% in the October Des Moines Register poll.
Prone to using the “pull yourself up by your boot-straps” philosophy of Americana; Keyes has been a polarizing force within American politics. Nearly completely ostracized by the American Black voter and the left wing of Americana; Keyes has none the less represented himself as an example of African-American success to a large segment of the American society. Being the highest ranking African American in the Reagan administration, serving in the State Department and as an Ambassador to the United Nations, Keyes has found a comfortable, if not vitriolic, home in the Republican Party.
Highly educated, he currently appears to be amiss with the apathy of the Republican Party in America. Speaking on the Janet Parshall radio show, Keyes stated that he has made the decision to stir those voters he has influence over. “He’s ‘unmoved’ by the lack of moral courage shown by the other candidates, among whom he sees no standout who articulates the ‘key kernel of truth that must, with courage, be presented to our people’.”
Election Polls
According to the latest poles his actions will have little influence immediately; however, his vibrant dissertations have been known to invigorate many. In the 2000 Iowa primaries, Keyes finished third with almost 15% of the vote – guaranteeing him 4 delegates to the convention.
Alan Keyes is also known as the “protest candidate.” In 2000 he had his best showing in the Utah primary where he won 21% of the vote: mostly due to the fact that John McCain had dropped out of the race. Furthermore, he is a determined campaigner. In that 2000 race he secured about 24 delegates to the convention and over 1 million votes.
Many will argue he is only running for the media attention and the ability to rant about various issues; however, few can dispute that Keyes will not gain considerable attention. When presented alongside the mass of dark suited, stalwart politicians maneuvering the fields of Iowa, Keyes should easily hold his own.
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