GOP chooses Keyes; is this 'The Simpsons,' or what? / GOP turns serious race into a sideshow

Star Newspapers (Chicago) ^ | Sunday, August 8, 2004 | Tom Houlihan / Star editors

[Chi-townChief]

I don't know about 'The Simpsons' but this certainly sounds like an episode of 'When Rabid Lefty Editors Attack.'

[Chi-townChief]

"Those beliefs include eliminating the federal income tax, prohibiting abortion procedures of any kind under any conditions, radically reducing government, dumping Social Security as we know it, fully supporting the right to bear arms."

Well, it's a start.

[BenLurkin]

At least Keyes has an American name.

[Bogey78O]

Obama is their golden boy. They need to defend him from any real challenges.

[SauronOfMordor]

This is good. They wouldn't be this upset if he didn't have them worried

[anonymous_user]

...his frequent rants express opinions similar to those of Rush Limbaugh and other Far Right spokespersons.

And this is a bad thing, how?

[sgtbono2002]

They didnt call it the Simpsons when their gal Hillary went to New York.

[Howlin]

In a recent op-ed piece he criticized Californians for electing Arnold Schwarzenegger, comparing the moderate wing of the Republican Party to the AIDS virus that "fools the cell (in the body) into thinking it is a defender against infection, all the while silently reprogramming that same cell to work for the death of the man."

Is this a metaphor, too?

;-)

[Howlin]

This could be far worse than we thought.

[Dane]

I don't know about 'The Simpsons' but this certainly sounds like an episode of 'When Rabid Lefty Editors Attack.'

I bet you they had to make hundreds of copies with all the foam coming from thier mouths just to make sure they had a couple of dry copies.

[Starboard]

Keyes has never lived in Illinois, has no visible political or personal ties to the state, surely has little knowledge of our unique problems and issues...

Reminds me of Hillary running for senator in NY, but of course these issues didn't apply in her case. Editorial outrage is reserved for conservatives.

[Miss Marple]

Yes, it could. I am hoping someone had strong words with Keyes and convinced him that this type of rhetoric wa harmful.

However, I doubt Dennis Hastert is that skillful in the powers of persuasion. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this candidacy will not be harmful to the president.

[Thebaddog]

The Chicago Tribune did the damage by taking out a legitimate candidate in Ryan. He was going to lose, but why not let the people decide?

[churchillbuff]

This could be far worse than we thought.""

The fact that you share the liberal media's distress over Keyes' conservatism simply confirms what I said about you months ago - - you're a liberal. You may be pro-Iraq-war, but that doesn't make somebody a conservative; Kerry and Edwards also claim to be for the war. On domestic issues, it seems, you're a liberal, and you can't stand the unqualified Reagan conservatism that alan keyes unapologetically professes. Thanks for exposing yourself. ! Have a nice evening.

[Howlin]

Hillary Clinton owned a house in New York from September, 1999.

She also ran in a primary.

Let's at least try to keep our side honest.

[coloradan]

Well, it's about time the conservative media finally trashed one of their own, after all the similarly vicious attacks against Hillary! when she ran for senate in New York. /sarcasm

[franky]

'#####Impressive credentials, certainly. And no question, Keyes is highly educated, very articulate, a man of strong beliefs and convictions. But those beliefs include eliminating the federal income tax, prohibiting abortion procedures of any kind under any conditions, radically reducing government, dumping Social Security as we know it, fully supporting the right to bear arms. On his talk show, his frequent rants express opinions similar to those of Rush Limbaugh and other Far Right spokespersons."#####

Ha! Another objective report. I wonder who this writer votes for?

[sinkspur]

This could be far worse than we thought.

Yep. The GOP has given up on Illinois. They're going through the motions.

[Huck]

I am keeping my fingers crossed that this candidacy will not be harmful to the president.

It can't help.

[Howlin]

kennedy has the perfect answer to settle all this:

To: Howlin

If I lived in Illinois, I would vote for Keyes over Obama without any hesitation; however, I have to agree that there is no way to reconcile Keyes running for Senator of a state where he does not live (and as far as I know has never lived) with what he said about Hillary running as Senator in NY.

I think that the best way for him to address the issue would be to say that it was fair of him to criticize Hillary for doing it and it is fair for the Democrats to now criticize him for doing it. Whether or not it should disqualify him from serving is up to the voters of Illinois to decide, just as whether or not it should have disqualified Hillary was for the voters of New York to decide. Meanwhile, he is going to discuss all of the other issues and hopes that the Democrats will do so as well.

132 posted on 08/08/2004 6:50:20 PM EDT by kennedy

[kennedy]

If I lived in Illinois, I would vote for Keyes over Obama without any hesitation; however, I have to agree that there is no way to reconcile Keyes running for Senator of a state where he does not live (and as far as I know has never lived) with what he said about Hillary running as Senator in NY.