In the past weeks I have spoken to many people about Alan Keyes for president. The responses I get have been most interesting. “Alan Keyes. Is he still running? I thought he dropped out; you never hear about him.” “Alan Keyes, who is he? Is he a local candidate?” “Alan Keyes, what is he running for?” “I would vote for Keyes if I thought he had a chance.” “Keyes is the smartest, most articulate candidate running–in any party.” “Keyes ought to be president, but he’s never in the news . . . “
Why, indeed!
The media in general seem uninterested in a well-educated, conservative black man running for president. It cannot be because he is so far behind in the polls or percentage points. Certainly Steve Forbes and Gary Bauer received more media attention than Keyes. I truly do not understand why the media insists on reporting the whining and trading barbs of George Bush/John McCain and neglects to report what Alan Keyes has to say about national defense, affirmative action, agriculture, etc.
The Keyes headquarters sends out 50,000 weekly e-mail updates to subscribers. That number isn’t enough to get him elected, but it shows that there is great interest in this man. It must also be understood that this is a grass-roots effort, meaning there are no big financial donations, no highly paid professional campaign managers, just a large group of individuals working hard to have this man heard and elected.
