Alan Keyes/Illinois Republicans

This is a tough one. Not that both don't belong. The question is which is worse? Who is the stupidest? Alan Keyes for running for the Senate from Illinois and making some of the stupidest comments ever? Or Illinois Republicans for accepting Alan Keyes as a candidate?

Let's start with the most stupid move first: Alan Keyes called gays and lesbians "selfish hedonists." He then went on to call VP Dick Cheney's daughter a sinner (she is a lesbian). Even Cheney himself has a small modicum of compassion in that he doesn't support a Constitutional amendment to ban marriage between gays. Keyes obviously is more conservative than thou.

The second most stupid is also by Keyes. When Hillary Clinton decided to run the Senate from NY he criticized her for running from a state in which she did not live. He in fact said that he wouldn't do such a thing. Keyes though is doing the same thing. Keyes is from Maryland. But he has a good reason: Barack Obama is such a threat to freedom and democracy he must be challenged, and of course Keyes is the only one to do it because Illinois ran out of qualified Republican candidates (former Republican candidate Jack Ryan (great name) had to drop out because of allegations in his years old divorce proceedings that he pressured his TV star wife, Jeri Ryan (Star Trek Voyager's 7 of 9) to engage in public sex at sex clubs--a great story in itself).

This leads us to our third stupid move: Illinois Republicans accepting Keyes as their candidate. Do they think they will draw black votes away from Obama (who is also black--his father is from Kenya, but then again his mother is white and from Kansas)? If they draw black votes away from Obama would Republicans vote for Keyes? Would anyone vote for Keyes (see above)? I know they floated Mike Ditka--good name recognition--but he's not someone with actual political chops. JC Watts would have been better. He's not from Illinois either so he is probably qualified.

OK, a quick review: Democrats are running a well educated African American whose father was an immigrant, who has been a state senator, and who is extremely popular. Republicans were running a well educated millionaire from a prominent family who left a high paying career to teach in a bad area, but was taken down by allegations of acting inconsistent with the public family values espoused by the party faithful. So, Republicans bring in a sideshow from Maryland that decides to call VP Cheney's daughter (who is working on her father's re-election) a sinner, slurs gays and recycles arguments used by white bigots to try and prevent inter-racial marriages.

I think it is close, but I think the stupidest is probably Keyes. He is just making a fool of himself. However, as I go through this I am reminded that the Republicans are trying to get out the vote by pressing their opposition to gay marriage. So, maybe the Log Cabin Republicans (Gay Republicans) are really the stupid ones. So much stupidity so little time.