Alan Keyes officially leaves GOP and hardly anyone notices

Alan Keyes, the former Republican who came within about 1,200 convention delegates of thumping Sen. Bob Dole for the GOP presidential nomination in 1996 and then came just as close to dismantling Gov. George W. Bush in 2000 for the party's White House nod, is seriously considering trying to embarrass another political party.

Keyes announced Tuesday night that he was officially leaving the Republican Party, which was relieved to hear it.

Keyes is best known recently as the former Illinois Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate singlehandedly responsible for halting the rise of a Democratic state senator there named Barack Obama. In their fabled statewide 2004 contest, Keyes came within 43 percentage points of tying Obama.

In what Keyes' website billed as a "major announcement," the outspoken abortion opponent said he was considering joining the Constitution Party.

"They're considering me, I'm considering them," Keyes told a conference call of several people Tuesday night. "We have so much in common that I find it hard to believe we won't be able to work out a common basis for working together."

The website of the Constitution Party, which has national headquarters in the well-known political hub of Lancaster, Pa., proclaims its political goal is "to restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations." The party holds its presidential nominating convention later this month in Kansas City, Mo., which is famous for great barbecue.

According to Keyes' very own website, he is busy these days writing books and speaking out on America's moral crisis. During a candid moment backstage at a Des Moines GOP debate in the 1999-2000 campaign, Keyes admitted to a bystander that perennially running for president was very good for boosting his speaking fees.

"Alan's stated purpose in life," his website says, "like that of America's Founders, is to provide a secure future for our posterity."

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Skulldugger7]

Alan Keyes in 2012! Boo-ya!

[C. Kettles]

It is MSM modus operandi to take any political voice that it does not aggree with and mocks, ridicules and even takes cheap pot shots at so the masses will see and read it and discount that voice out of hand, to your and their shame...

[Peter Principle]

Alan who?

[gårcho]

if only Keyes would leave the US too...

[free patriot]

yawn

[bellylaugh]

LMAO!

[Whatever]

In other news, the dinosaur known as the LA Times has folded their tent, and hardly anyone notices...

[Avidreader]

Hey Judy Baar Topinka, (Chair of the Illinois Republican Party)... What were you thinking when you chose to put this Alan guy as the replacement for Jack Ryan, to go up against Barack Obama?

I hope you are reading this, and also planning on leaving the GOP!

[ladyluck]

The L.A. who??

[Snarki, child of Loki]

...Keyes' action follows a more radical departure fifteen years ago, when he departed this reality for a more congenial alternative.

"Yes, I did leave all those nasty, uncomfortable things like 'facts' and 'logic' behind," said Keyes, " but found a comfortable home amoung like-minded people in the GOP."

Asked if he has any regrets about leaving the GOP, Keyes said wistfully: " I'll really miss Jonah Goldberg, and the other denizens of the FascioSmearoSphere. But it's time to move on, the new frontier in nano-IQ technology beckons, where we take George W. Bush's notions to Infinity and Beyond. I expect Jonah will eventually join us pioneers of Dimension X, but first he has to purge himself of the last few twinges of coherent neural activity. Soon! Soon!"

With those words, Keyes faded into the twilight, as an egg-timer dinged to indicate that his fifteen minutes of fame were long since past.

[Lee]

Anyone can be cutting and sarcastic. What was the point of this article?

[Steve Schulin]

Alan Keyes represents my views on a wide range of important issues better than any other candidate in many years. I think it's possible that the liberals will split their vote, perhaps slicing the Democratic Party nominee's vote total by a third compared to Kerry's totals. I also think it's possible that McCain will be so severely damaged by the campaign that even many of the most loyal Republicans will decide that they cannot vote for a fellow who can't provide a good answer to the question: "Sen. McCain, how can the American public be assured that during your long and brutal captivity, our enemies did not turn you into a "Manchurian Candidate"? If Alan Keyes wins the Constitution Party nomination in Kansas City next week, folks who cherish our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will have a stark choice in November. By virtue of his experience in Reagan administration, Alan Keyes has foreign policy experience unmatched by any of the other candidates. He'll be a great President, and there's plenty of time left to win this election.

[Dr. David m. Berman]

The person who wrote this report on Alan Keyes is a typical "Republicrat." IT IS STUPID TO MAKE FUN OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO STAND UP FOR THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF THIS NATION. I think it is absurd that those of us who are fed up with the two party system (really one in the same) are made fun of by those who can't see that we are close to a take over of our liberty with socialism, and globalism. You may make fun all you want but when the time comes that this nation is broke beyond fixing, invaded by the third world, and simply not America any longer, you will see and it will be to late! Wake up America!!! www.revberman.com
-Dr. David M. Berman

[Robert L. Faunce]

I think the time is right for Alan Keyes. He certainly has my vote again as I voted for him in the primary of 2000.
God Bless America

[Ellsworth Toohey]

As a non-militant atheist who is offended more by socialism than Christianity, I am sad to see Mr. Keyes leave my party. I enjoyed his style, I agreed with his pro-Constitution, pro-liberty stance, and I sent money to his Presidential campaign. But I think of Reagan's words, did he leave the Party, or did his Party leave him? The Republican Party of today bears only superficial resemblance to the Party of Reagan and Goldwater. Can I blame Keyes for leaving a Party that today is philosophically void and is at best Democrat-light? What the hell am I still doing here?

[Ellsworth Toohey]

As a non-militant atheist who is offended more by socialism than Christianity, I am sad to see Mr. Keyes leave my party. I enjoyed his style, I agreed with his pro-Constitution, pro-liberty stance, and I sent money to his Presidential campaign. But I think of Reagan's words, did he leave the Party, or did the Party leave him? The Republican Party of today bears only superficial resemblance to the Party of Reagan and Goldwater. Can I blame Keyes for leaving a Party that is philosophically void and is at best Democrat-light? What the hell am I still doing here?

[SK]

Unfortunately, when the lunatic liberal fringe took over the Democrat Party, the rank and file Democrats didn't have the backbone to stand up to them. Instead, they invaded the Republican Party, and turned it into the Democrat Light Party. They have done to the true Republicans what their own lunatic fringe did to them. Instead of standing up for our conservative values, too many real Republicans bought the lie that we should admit the moderate Democrats in to make the party bigger. Instead it is driving true Republicans away--including me.

I, like many other conservative Republicans voted for Alan Keyes in the 2000 primary to try to take back our party. We were very disappointed that he lost. I had to hold my nose and vote for Bush (a liberal Republican) instead. In 2004 I had to hold my nose even tighter when I voted for Bush again. If I were to vote for McCain (a completely fake Republican) this time around, my nose would break off. I want to keep my nose and stand up for my values, and my country, so I am voting for an alternate party candidate this time around. Probably the Constitution Party candidate, like I did when Dole (another liberal Republican) was running against Bill Clinton.

Save America--vote Conservative!

[Mary]

I see Alan Keyes as the only intelligent man running wanting to keep our CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS and our
country together. All others flip flop on where they are and what people want to hear.

We will never have a President "For the People by the People" as long the big money elites run the campaign.
The unfair media zaps everyone they don't want (in other words the media reports what the elite tell them).