Posted under Alan Keyes & Constitution Party & Election 2008
You are the National Political Director (I assume that is about the same thing as a campaign manager.) for Alan Keyes. I am receiving mixed signals on how the rank-and-file and the leadership feel about a Keyes nomination. Some suggest it is possible although the leadership knows there are issues. Other have suggested that at least part of the leadership is adamantly opposed. I tend to believe that the latter is closer to the truth.
Surely, Dr. Keyes recognizes this. If so, why is he going to make the attempt? Is he going to attempt a “hostile takeover” of the Party? Is he going to attempt by shear rhetorical skill to convert the Party to interventionism or convince them to look the other way on the issue? Quite frankly, I think it is too late in the delegate selection game, and Dr. Keyes doesn’t have the ground troops to take the nomination by brute force of numbers.
This is something you seriously need to consider. I do not think Keyes can win the nomination. If he does, it will only be for lack of a credible alternative, and the Party will fracture as a result of his nomination.
I hope Dr. Keyes declines to seek the nomination. For his sake and the Party’s.
If he does decline, I honestly think the CP owes Dr. Keyes an apology. They put his name on their poll. They put his name in some official CP communications, and now they are having to deal with the mess they created. If they knew Dr. Keyes was not an acceptable nominee, they shouldn’t have put his name out there.
Trent Hill on 31 Mar 2008 at 10:28 pm #
Dr. Keyes, by and large, will be acceptable to the average CP voter. It is only the voting delegates who may have a problem with him,as these people tend to be more classically educated. However, im still expecting Keyes to win the floor-fight. Any state that says they wont place him on the ballot is probably blowing up smoke.
roho on 01 Apr 2008 at 12:32 am #
He is not the “MAGIC”!……………………….BALDWIN/MOORE, but not Keyes.
I’m done with “Party Loyalty” over “Principle”.(Otherwise, I would continue to be a Republican.)
I had rather be an Independent picking and choosing on each candidate, than follow another party into the world of stupidity!
RedPhillips on 01 Apr 2008 at 3:13 am #
Mr. Hoefling, I don’t expect an answer since you said you didn’t intend to post any more comments. I would just like you to think about some things.
What does being a Straussian mean, and why would it matter to people? Why would they object? Why would a conservative object to Declarationism? (Are you familiar with the Modern Age debate between Jaffa and Bradford? If not, read that exchange and it will help.) And why does Lincoln and the War matter so much to many people? Of course it matters to Southerners because it was our ancestors who were killed and our land that was invaded, but why does it matter philosophically?
Some might think that the people objecting to Keyes are just a bunch of Yahoos, but the most weighty and substantial objections are actually coming from very thoughtful paleoconservatives.
As a very important paleo once said before there was such a thing, ideas have consequences.
Weaver on 01 Apr 2008 at 10:08 am #
Lol roho,
only Keyes is allowed to use the race card. When you cry “reverse” racism, it’s racist.
But yea truly the reason we oppose him is his views… Get a conservative black man to run, and I’ll vote for him. But I’m not voting for him only because he’s black, nor am I voting for Obama because he’s black or McCain because he’s white or Huckabee because he talks of how Christian he is.
Kevin Thompson on 01 Apr 2008 at 10:38 am #
Ok, I have to display my ignorance here for all to see – what exactly does it meant to be “Straussian.” I’ve heard used in reference to Keyes before, but am ignorant to its definition. Can someone help me out, please?
Weaver on 01 Apr 2008 at 11:31 am #
Wikipedia article
see Dr. Richert’s comments here:
He makes several comments there if you’re so inclined.
Sometimes the term Straussian is used to refer to someone who is Straussian-like, not truly Straussian.
—
And Chronicles has no Internet accessible articles on Strauss… though Dr. Trifkovic mentions this:
Patroon on 01 Apr 2008 at 2:16 pm #
I think to boil it all down, Keyes, as a Straussian, is someone who puts the Declaration of Independence above all other considerations in the formation of the new nation. My guess is he doesn’t particular care for the Constitution which declared his ancestors to be three-fifths of a person (which was put into the document by Northern representatives of the Continental Congress, not the South) and that’s a fair argument. The Constitution is not a perfect document nor holy writ and was a document ironed out messily at times in imperfect compromises.
But nevertheless it is what governs us. It is the rules of the game which we do not even pretend to follow anymore. What is supposed to be a more perfect union of states evevoled into a all powerful state which is going to expand its power even further as the illegal central bank now will be the guaranter of investment banks as well as commerical banks with your tax dollars. Creating this kind of governement has allowed the U.S. become a world military and financial empire, a far cry from what its founders envisioned.
We don’t believe that Alan Keyes understands this. Instead we feel Keyes believes the Declaration, which includes a lot of securalist and humanistic ideas in it from enlightenment philosphers (All men created equal? Really? Then why are some short and others tall?), is some sort of holy writ from God and thus must be promulgated around the world, including at gunpoint if necessary. This is the part of the essence of what neoconservatives believe in.
In the midst of this, the Constitution Party has arose to take up the mantle of Constitutional renewal. Why then should the party give it highest award, the nomination for the office of President to the United States, to a man who really doesn’t much care for the Constitution? Who promoted such un-Constitutional ideas such as keeping the Department of Agriculture, slave reparations and conscription in his last bid for public office?
You’re guess is a good as mine too. It may very well be that CP rank n’ file voters have no problem with Keyes. But as delegates representing these voters from the various parties across the country, it is their duty to do what’s best for the party that will ultimatley benefit these rank n’ file voters even if it isn’t “popular” at a precise moment in time.
And Alan Keyes isn’t it.
Patroon on 01 Apr 2008 at 2:32 pm #
Regarding the Lincoln debate, it may very well seem an esoteric and anarchoristic discussion, or as one would vugarly put it “re-fight the Civil War.” But as a Northern decentralist (Douglas Democrat) let me explain why this discussion is relevent: I asked a Peroutka supporter what would he do if Roe vs. Wade was overturned and certain states decided to keep abortion. He said something about sending in the Marines. Right. Declaring war upon ourselves if one part of the country doesn’t particulary care for the morals of another part of the country. If I substituted slavery for abortion you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
I certainly would not to live in a state that permitted abortions and would work to make sure it didn’t happen where I did choose to live and support efforts finanically to end abortions in other states. I would not however, make war upon them nor support an expanded government that will enforce a standard of morality upon the nation that was orginially designed to be a loose union of states. That is why we have the government you see today: bloated, thieving and militaristic because that government it has the right to enforce such moral standards not just on the Continent anymore, but the entire world. Woodrow Wilson is Lincoln’s natural sucessor.
You can only change this by going back into history and saying slavery was wrong, but don’t you think it might have been better if Southerners ended the “peculiar institution” themselves on their own instead of at the point of a bayonet or left to go their own way? Maybe emancipation would have taken longer to accomplish, but I doubt if we would be at war in Iraq right now watching the desecendents of those slaves used as cannon fodder for the very ideals of moralistic supremecy imposed on us by Lincoln.
Weaver on 01 Apr 2008 at 4:44 pm #
Patroon,
that makes sense then of what I’ve heard others say of Keyes, that he believes in the ideology of the neocons/Straussians, whereas some Straussians might push the ideology for other reasons, without believing in it.
I wasn’t sure what Red meant by Straussian since I don’t know Keyes, so I just provided the references. Hopefully I didn’t confuse the issue.
A Gottfried article: Strauss and the Straussians.
Joe Murphy on 01 Apr 2008 at 6:05 pm #
Red,
I am afraid we may lack a credible alternative. If Roy Moore, Jerome Corsi or Chuck Baldwin decline and let Keyes have the nomination what are we to do? Does anyone know if all of these people will be at the convention? I would be truly disappointed if they were all not there.
Also I just started reading “The Real Lincoln” so far it is a great book.
RedPhillips on 01 Apr 2008 at 8:11 pm #
Joe, Trent Hill is of the same opinion and keeps stating we need to recruit an alternative. If someone can, then fine with me. But to me that does not seem like a task for little ol’ me. I really think it is up to the leadership to recruit an alternative. They need to go to someone (at this point they don’t even need to be “credible,” just not an embarrassment) and ask him to take one for the team. This will just not be our year.
roho on 01 Apr 2008 at 9:59 pm #
I like Judge Napolitano, but have no idea if he’s a Libertarian/Independent/ or what?…………..But, he may have some issues I’m not aware of?
Weaver on 02 Apr 2008 at 12:54 am #
Well, if the CP can’t find anyone, there’s always Bob Barr.
Patroon on 02 Apr 2008 at 2:01 am #
I was going to say both Trent Hill and the Minnesota CP chairman (his name escapes me) spoke very warmly about Bob Barr and talked the possibility of a fusion ticket with the LP. Perhaps that’s our alternative candidate.
Trent Hill on 02 Apr 2008 at 3:28 am #
Ill vote for whomever the nominee is–and if Barr seems to be an option, im all for that too. But, im focussing on my state.
Robbie Hruska on 14 May 2008 at 2:34 am #
Tom Hoefling?…. You gotta be kidding me. He is Keyes’ ace political fluffer and barely strapped in political whack job.