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Alan Keyes’ Baroque Period

I remember hearing in the hours just before the last Republican debate in Iowa that Alan Keyes, who had (to be fair to him) participated in the NAACP-sponsored forum that most of the top Republicans skipped, had somehow crossed the … Read More

By / December 14, 2007

I remember hearing in the hours just before the last Republican debate in Iowa that Alan Keyes, who had (to be fair to him) participated in the NAACP-sponsored forum that most of the top Republicans skipped, had somehow crossed the 1% barrier in a Des Moines Register poll, and so qualified for a podium (or as Keyes' website puts it, "[f]or the first time, all nine major candidates will share the stage.")

Turns out things aren't so simple as that. In what is on so many levels the most compelling bit of campaign-trail reportage to come out of this election cycle so far, Byron York notes that in addition to the 1% hurdle and a couple of other conditions that the Keyes campaign has met, there is a further condition for candidates to take part in the DMR debate — that they have at least one paid staffer in Iowa — and it's not at all clear from Keyes' protestations to York that he has even one staffer. (On the other hand, he could be pulling a reverse Saddam Hussein — acting like he doesn't have the goods when he really does, the better to stoke his resentment of the media and non-followers of his generally.) Check out this exchange among York, Keyes, and an unnamed reporter, below the fold.

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  • Baltimom

    We all know Keyes is a megalomaniac nut.  No need to deconstruct.  Writing about him just distracts from actual political issues and validates his attention-seeking behavior.

  • David N. Friedman

    Making a fuss over Alan Keyes who has zero chance of even affecting this campaign is a sure waste of time.  Daniel has also falsely accused Mitt Romney of alleged mis-steps when his speech was actually very well delivered and received by the nation.

     On the other hand, a candidate is out there who is truly a genuine problem. Liberal and conservative alike should take notice of the leading GOP contender at the moment, Mike Huckabee, who is a poor choice and deserves to be examined.

    In my book, Alan Keyes is correct on almost all the issues.  He is also a dreadful possibility for President of the US–with almost zero executive experience and lacking the temperament and political skill to serve in the highest office of the land. He is surely more qualified than the leading Dem contenders, a former first lady and a guy 24 months out of local politics in Illinois– but we are talking about GOP standards or what might be called normal standards.  Alan Keyes is great as a talk show host and not as a President.

    Your sharp pen aimed at Huckabee would actually serve a useful purpose and even, in a rare moment, join liberals and conservatives.  Just a thought.