Economics

Warning: This Post Is About Alan Keyes

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Alan Keyes wants the presidential nomination of the conservative Constitution Party—but does the Constitution Party want him? Jim Antle reports that Keyes' pro-war positions haven't endeared him to the party's isolationist rank and file:

Ricardo Davis, the state party chairman for Georgia, says any attempt to abandon the antiwar stance will go over about as well as the New Coke. "What if I was the new CEO of a midsized company and decided embark on a strategy to sell a 'me too' product that negates the company's unique sales proposition?" he asks. "What if that sales proposition is held dear by most of the sales and marketing management in the company? What do you think will happen to that company as I try to change the company's direction? A train wreck would look prettier!"…

Last Thursday, Keyes took part in a conference call with state Constitution Party leaders. Instead of smoothing over their differences on the Iraq war and other issues, at least one participant remembers Keyes being more interested in talking than listening. "I appreciate that Alan speaks his mind," says Davis. "But he is seeking our nomination, not the other way around."

Keyes has supporters, too: Some CPers seem to believe, in the face of massive evidence to the contrary, that his fame will make him a vote magnet. The Constitutional convention is coming up this weekend, so we'll soon see if Keyes' semi-celebrity status is enough to outweigh his support for Bush's foreign policy.

[Via Freddy Gray, a young Englishman who "was only recently made aware of the extraordinary Mr Keyes. I am now obsessed. Is he not the most entertaining politician in the world?" I remember that feeling, Freddy. Time will pass, and soon you'll be sick of him too.]