How the Not-Really-Very-Mighty Have Fallen

Ron Gunzberger of Politics1 listens to Alan Keyes on blog radio so that you don't have to:

The most significant part of the online interview came at the very end when Keyes was directly asked if he would consider making an Independent or third party run for President in November. The answer: "I think the people of this country deserve good choices. If we are faced with a situation where neither the Democrats nor the Republicans want to offer the people good choices consistent with the moral premises of our liberty … then I think somebody is going to have to step forward and offer that choice. Would I consider doing that? Sure I would. … If, at the end of the day, the Republican Party insists on going down the same road of the Democrats and abandoning the declaration of principals of American life, I think we will need a party that fights for them and I will help to put it together." Translation: Look for Keyes to soon make a bid for the Constitution Party's Presidential nomination.

Six months ago I would have said "if they can't draft Ron Paul or Roy Moore, an Alan Keyes campaign would be next best thing for the Constitution Party." Then Keyes… I was going to say "jumped into the GOP presidential race," but that isn't true. Then Keyes put his name on the GOP ballot in a few states and angrily demanded that people pay attention to him. He transformed himself from the man who got a million votes in 2000 and actually got the better of Barack Obama in some 2004 debates into, basically, a poor man's Bo Gritz. If this is "news" it's bad news for Democrats. The Keyes of 2000 could have stolen some votes from the GOP nominee's hide, especially if it's McCain. The Keyes of 2008 couldn't attract a camera crew if he discovered El Dorado.

Comments

[Cheeseburger]

For the record, Alan Keyes has not yet to this day conceded defeat to Barack Obama for the 2004 Senate Race.

[Kolohe]

Like the saying goes, Alan Keyes fills a much needed void.

And I remember being vaguely uncomfortable the last time Reason ran this cartoon.

[Warty]

I remember liking Keyes back in the day, after I heard him on the radio talking about how America needs to "get off the dole". Turns out he's nuts. Who knew?

[x,y]

And I remember being vaguely uncomfortable the last time Reason ran this cartoon.

Exact same reaction I had (again).

[Legate Damar]

I remember my most favorite Alan Keyes moment.

2000 debates, McCain talked about cutting taxes. Then Bush talked about how he was going to cut them so much more than McCain would. Then Gary Bauer says he'll slash taxes to levels so low that Bush and McCain can't even concieve of them. Then Alan Keyes pipes up with "I plan on repealing the 16th amendment."

And for that one, brief, shining moment, I was proud to be a Republican.

[Reinmoose]

chalk me up with Kolohe and x,y

[joe]

I don't get the discomfort. All of Bagge's humans look like that.

[highnumber]

...actually got the better of Barack Obama in some 2004 debates...

Juh?

I felt absolutely awful for Obama during those debates. He was calm, rational, and dealing with a raving lunatic.

[Reason/Cato]

hmmm, I wonder if weigel will admit to whom was responsible for drawing the racially insensitive cartoon attached to a blog with his name on it. for the sake of libertarianism, let's hope he comes clean.

[Dodsworth]

David:

Why waste time kicking a nobody like Alan Keyes when you have a great story on your doorstep about Roger Pilon and Cato?

[thoreau]

Why is it that the people who talk the best libertarian talk on a few issues turn out to be insane on a bunch of other stuff?

I think it has something to do with turning things up to 11.

[joe]

Why vote for a man for president when you can vote for a God?
Alan Keyes is that God.

[Randolph Carter]

Dodsworth is, actually, right about the recent CATO ridiculousness. Who would have thought that CATO would come out in favor of making permanent the "Protect America Act" and defending warrantless wiretaps?

[joe]

I like the comment, but there's already a little-j joe here.

[joe]

Now there's three of us?!

[highnumber]

(I won't do that again.)

[joe]

Like Gaul and God, joe is divided into three parts.

[Pro Libertate]

Cato needs to move to Florida or some other place far from Washington. I blame the cosmopolibertarianismists.

I was listening to NPR talking about Giuliani's tax cut plans. He's promising to push for record tax cuts in the trillions. Too bad he's a proto-tyrant, otherwise.

joe,

Substitute joe is funnier than you this thread. I think you should fight it out for sole ownership of the lower case "j". Two go in, one comes out. Two go in, one comes out. Bloggerdome.

[Episiarch]

Why vote for a man for president when you can vote for a God? Alan Keyes is that God.

There is no Gozer. Only Zuul.

[joe]

Thank God the FDA doesn't require labels to identify clones... that way nobody will know who's the real joe. MWA-HAA-HAA!!!

[Christopher Monnier]

From Pilon's article:

But even with law enforcement, where the main function is ex post prosecution, not ex ante protection, there are numerous exceptions to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement...

Numerous exceptions like those used to "justify" no-knock raids and SWAT team overkill?

[joe]

Oh, man, this makes the Real Roxanne/Roxanne Chante throwdown of the mid-90s look like child's play!

[Randolph Carter]

Monnier,
Maybe it's pieces like that that make the Kos crowd wonder whether or not libertarians really care about civil liberties.

[thoreau]

I'm joe of Hit and Run!

No, I'm joe of Hit and Run!

I'm joe of Hit and Run and so is my wife!

[Colin]

It's funny you mentioned El Dorado. Obama is having a rally there today. El Dorado, KS.

So maybe Keyes could get camera attention in El Dorado. If he shows up today, that is.

[Tom Walls]

Screw Alan Keyes. He's just running to pay off prior campaign debts. He's a neocon disowned by Bill Kristol who disowned his own daughter for coming out. Not only that, he's for FedGov censoring the Internet. Fiery orator, BIG DAMN DEAL.

Arlo Guthrie just endorsed Ron Paul, so there.

[Jim Walsh]

There is nothing sadder than someone who believes his own bullshit...