Alan Keyes hasn’t had much luck in his current run for the Republican Presidential nomination. In 2000, Keyes provided a credible vehicle for some conservative Christians to cast a protest vote against George Bush and John McCain. But this time around the field is much more split and competitive, and he just hasn’t connected with voters or been able to raise very much money.
This year he recieved so few votes in Iowa that the state party didn’t even bother to report the count. In New Hampshire he polled a meager 206 votes or 0.1% of the total. He failed to make it on the ballot in South Carolina or Michigan, but will appear in Florida and many of the Super Tuesday states.
That’s why the Keyes campaign has now announced that the bulk of their remaining time and resources will be focused on the Texas primary. To be held in early March, Texas isn’t really expected to be a major player in picking the nominee. But Keyes claims that the contest may be so deadlocked that he’ll have some sort of a role in deciding who wins.
It’s an extreme long-shot, but then again it’s not like he has anything to lose by trying this.
Keyes was the highest ranking African American in the Reagan administration, serving in the State Department and as an Ambassador to the United Nations.
In 1988 and 1992 he was a candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland, failing to win both races, with 38% and 29% showings respectively. In 2004, Keyes was named the replacement Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from Illinois and was beaten 70% to 27% by Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
This is his third bid for President, after a minimal showing in 1996 and a somewhat more impressive performance in 2000.
In the 2000 primaries, Keyes finished third in Iowa with almost 15% of the vote. That showing secured him increased press coverage and 4 delegates to the national convention. He won only 6% in New Hampshire, and then spent several months campaigning and winning only marginal showings of between 2% and 6% in a long list of primaries. Once John McCain had dropped out of the race and George W. Bush had secured enough delegates to win the nomination, Keyes would pop back up and win some protest votes here and there. His best showing in the entire contest was the Utah primary in which he won 21% of the vote, shortly after John McCain formally suspended his campaign.
Four months after the Iowa Caucus, Keyes won 19% of the vote in both the Arkansas and Idaho primaries and was awarded with 9 delegates between them.
Because he was on the ballot in every primary and continued to run long after Bush had secured the nomination, Alan Keyes was able to accumulate over 1 million votes and carry about two-dozen delegates to the convention.
January 24th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
No mention of his jump from Maryland to Illinois to take on Obama back in 2004. I think that was the moment that captures the decline of Alan Keyes. It showed him to basically be the second coming of Harold Stassen. I suspect he’ll be angling for the nomination of the Constiution Party soon enough. Running for office-it’s what Keyes does for a living.
January 24th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Ronald Reagan ran twice for President before winning in the 1980 election cycle.
Roanld Reagan said, “Alan, … as my Assistant Secty of State for International Organizations, you opposed with every ounce of strength in your body all those who have served to foster and legitimative state-sponsored terrorism.”
We Need Alan Keyes, 2008!
January 24th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Austin,
Very balanced report.
Of course those who know the facts and who actually read what you wrote will know that it was accurate as well, as you did mention the 2004 IL Senate race despite the other comment that delared in ignorance that you hadn’t.
Keep up the good work.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Austin,
I agree that your article is very fair and balanced. It clearly states the facts about Alan Keyes’s numerous (albeit failed) attempts to win an election, without being mean-spirited towards the man.
Whether an individual supports Alan Keyes and his positions or not the one thing that can be said of him is that he is at least willing to whole-heartedly put his time, treasure, and talent into something that he believes in.
Win or lose; that admirable of anyone.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Alan Keyes hasn’t contributed 1/100th of the things Harold Stassen did to the United States, as a look at any Stassen biography will make clear. Plus Stassen was actually elected to something (governor of Minnesota). Historians, when mentioning Stassen, usually bemoan the fact that his leadership of the moderate wing of the Republican party for many years is overlooked by his quadrennial quixotic presidential campaigns. Comparing Alan Keyes to Harold Stassen is unfortunate……for Stassen.
January 25th, 2008 at 6:19 am
You comment, “This year he recieved so few votes in Iowa that the state party didn’t even bother to report the count.” is misleading. You MUST click on the link to read that that isn’t what happened at all in Iowa. The truth is the people who voted for Alan Keyes weren’t counted because the automated call-in system didn’t list his name, even though he was a candidate. So they are conducting a hand count. Last I heard, they are still counting. What a shame for Iowans.
The other Republicans have had an Extreme Conservative Makeover just to get votes. Alan’s the only true conservative people are looking for.
February 9th, 2008 at 3:23 am
Texas is not our last stand, it is where we begin the fight to regain our sovereign rights, one voice one vote at a time. This is our campaign not just Alan’s. Join us on our conference calls.
Go to http://www.alankeyes.com, then talk to Alan yourselves. How many other candidates care enough to personally answer our questions twice a week on conerence calls?
March 20th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Alan Keyes has fast become a pathetic joke..