Alan Keyes presidential campaign, 2008
Encyclopedia
Alan Keyes
announced his United States Presidential
candidacy, running as a Republican Party
candidate, on September 14, 2007 in an interview with radio show personality Janet Parshall
. Keyes later sought the nomination of the Constitution Party
in the same year, before becoming independent
.
This was Keyes' third official bid for the presidency; he ran in two election cycles prior to 2008
: 1996
and 2000
.
was started entitled We Need Alan Keyes for President and formed a political action committee
to encourage Keyes to run for President. On September 14, 2007, Keyes officially announced his candidacy in an interview with radio show host Janet Parshall
and was quickly invited to the Values Voter Debate, a debate that was streamed live on Skyangel
, the Value Voter Website, and radio
.
Keyes received 5% of support in the Values Voter straw poll
, placing third only behind Mike Huckabee
and Ron Paul
. His campaign drew very little support in any of the caucuses or primaries that followed, winning a total of only 59,636 votes. His best showing was in the North Carolina primary where he won about 3% of the vote and captured 2 delegates. In the Iowa caucuses
, Keyes accused some of the state's ballots of not even listing him as a candidate, and his campaign CEO, Stephen Stone, stated that the reason he did not show up on most ballots was mainly because Keyes had decided to enter the election cycle so late. He also blamed the media
for not recognizing Keyes as a viable candidate, excluding him from debates and providing practically no campaign coverage.
Keyes was awarded four delegates, which is more than he received in 1996 but less than in 2000. In early 2008, Keyes changed his allegiance to the Constitution Party
, and signified that by showing a dead Republican elephant on the bottom of his web page. However, his effort to win that party's nomination failed as well, as Chuck Baldwin
was selected at the party's convention. Following the defeat, Keyes told a group of his supporters that he was "prayerfully considering" continuing his candidacy as an independent
, and refused to endorse Baldwin.
Keyes became the Presidential nominee of America's Independent Party
with ballot access in California
, Colorado
, Florida
. His candidacy was also endorsed by the Christian Falangist Party of America.
In the 2008 presidential election, Keyes received a total of 47,694 votes nationwide.
Alan Keyes
Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...
announced his United States Presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
candidacy, running as a Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate, on September 14, 2007 in an interview with radio show personality Janet Parshall
Janet Parshall
Janet Parshall is the host of the conservative, Christianity-based radio talk show In the Market with Janet Parshall, which is broadcast on the Moody Radio network. That program is the replacement for her previous radio show, Janet Parshall's America for the Salem Radio Network; that program was...
. Keyes later sought the nomination of the Constitution Party
Constitution Party (United States)
The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
in the same year, before becoming independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
This was Keyes' third official bid for the presidency; he ran in two election cycles prior to 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
: 1996
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
and 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
.
Pre-announcement
On June 5, 2007 a draft movementDraft (politics)
In elections in the United States, political drafts are used to encourage or pressure a certain person to enter a political race, by demonstrating a significant groundswell of support for the candidate. A write-in campaign may also be considered a draft campaign.-The movement to draft Dwight D....
was started entitled We Need Alan Keyes for President and formed a political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
to encourage Keyes to run for President. On September 14, 2007, Keyes officially announced his candidacy in an interview with radio show host Janet Parshall
Janet Parshall
Janet Parshall is the host of the conservative, Christianity-based radio talk show In the Market with Janet Parshall, which is broadcast on the Moody Radio network. That program is the replacement for her previous radio show, Janet Parshall's America for the Salem Radio Network; that program was...
and was quickly invited to the Values Voter Debate, a debate that was streamed live on Skyangel
Sky Angel
Sky Angel U.S. LLC. describes itself as a "Christian-owned and operated multi-channel television service specializing in Christian and family-friendly TV and radio programming." It is one of the first niche-oriented television providers in the United States....
, the Value Voter Website, and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
.
Reception
Straw poll
A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation...
, placing third only behind Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
and Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
. His campaign drew very little support in any of the caucuses or primaries that followed, winning a total of only 59,636 votes. His best showing was in the North Carolina primary where he won about 3% of the vote and captured 2 delegates. In the Iowa caucuses
Iowa caucus
The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1784 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99 conventions...
, Keyes accused some of the state's ballots of not even listing him as a candidate, and his campaign CEO, Stephen Stone, stated that the reason he did not show up on most ballots was mainly because Keyes had decided to enter the election cycle so late. He also blamed the media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
for not recognizing Keyes as a viable candidate, excluding him from debates and providing practically no campaign coverage.
Keyes was awarded four delegates, which is more than he received in 1996 but less than in 2000. In early 2008, Keyes changed his allegiance to the Constitution Party
Constitution Party (United States)
The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
, and signified that by showing a dead Republican elephant on the bottom of his web page. However, his effort to win that party's nomination failed as well, as Chuck Baldwin
Chuck Baldwin
Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin is an American politician and founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. presidential election and had previously been its nominee for U.S. vice president in 2004...
was selected at the party's convention. Following the defeat, Keyes told a group of his supporters that he was "prayerfully considering" continuing his candidacy as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, and refused to endorse Baldwin.
Keyes became the Presidential nominee of America's Independent Party
America's Independent Party
America's Party, originally known as America's Independent Party, is a conservative American political party formed in 2008 by supporters of Alan Keyes as an alternative to the Republican, Democratic and other parties....
with ballot access in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. His candidacy was also endorsed by the Christian Falangist Party of America.
In the 2008 presidential election, Keyes received a total of 47,694 votes nationwide.
See also
- Comparison of United States presidential candidates, 2008Comparison of United States presidential candidates, 2008This article compares the presidential candidates in the United States' 2008 presidential election. It does not cover previous elections. Because of ballot access restrictions in the United States, not all candidates appeared on the ballots in all states....
- List of candidates in the United States presidential election, 2008
- Third party (United States) presidential candidates, 2008