Affirmative Action, Republican Style
Quote of note:
The first Obama heard of Keyes was when reporters asked him about the potential matchup at a stop in Downstate Bloomington.
"Does he live in Illinois?" Obama asked. "The Republicans need to just go ahead and make up their minds and when they do, we'll be happy to debate whoever they put in."
GOP wooing Keyes to take on Obama
August 3, 2004
BY SCOTT FORNEK Political Reporter
Barack Obama might get a race, after all.
Former GOP presidential candidate Alan Keyes told Illinois Republicans Monday that he is ''open to the idea'' of taking on the Democrat in the U.S. Senate race -- a move that would pit two eloquent, nationally known African Americans against one another.
''It would be a classic race of conservative vs. liberal,'' said state Sen. Dave Syverson, a member of the panel looking for a candidate to go up against Obama. ''It would put this race on the map in this country -- just for excitement.''
Syverson spoke to Keyes several times Monday and said Keyes did not commit to making the run. The former State Department official and radio and television personality was unable to fly from his home in Maryland to Chicago for a meeting the Republican State Central Committee is holding today to interview potential candidates.
''But he certainly has an interest, and he said if the group is interested in meeting with him and speaking with him about his views that he would be happy to come out and meet [later]," said Syverson, a Rockford member of the committee.
Gotta give props to Barbara Peterson:
Not all members of the state central committee are sold on Keyes.
"He can talk -- that I know," said Barbara Peterson, a state central committeewoman from Will County. "I've been enthralled by his speeches, but I liked Obama's speech, too. So what does that say for me? Maybe I just like a good speech. I don't know at this point. Why would he want to do it?"
I much prefer her approach ("Why would he want to do it?") to Syverson's approach ("It would put this race on the map in this country -- just for excitement."). We got enough of the Circus Maximus vibe working already.
