Keyes is the best possible choice given the circumstances. He will help put forth an important conservative message and draw a lot of media attention.
No Names from Illinois would do NOTHING to help the party.
Few who can reason efficiently object to this move by the party and Keyes is infinitely preferrable to the absurd alternative the party was considering. An alternative laughable and infuriating at the same time to anyone who "understands the actual situation on the ground..."
I would never advocate Barthwell. But if the party had been willing to come up with even one million dollars, we would have had a competent home grown candidate running for weeks now, instead of an imported East Coaster who will likely get only about 35% of the vote, and who will then leave the state, putting the state party in an even worse situation than it's in now.