Animal Instinct

Plan B for Illinois

It comes as little surprise that the choice of Alan Keyes to run against Barack Obama is being greeted by jeers nationally and at home. He's just not a suitable candidate for office in a state that isn't in the thrall of the far right. His choices in his first day of campaigning made that clear: he called Obama's vote against a ban on partial-borth abortion "the slaveholder's position" and, arguing against gay marriage, said, "We as human beings cannot assert that our sexual desires cannot be controlled." Keyes said doing so would "consign us to the realm of instinctual animal nature--and we are not there."

Are the voters of Illinois, as a whole, really against abortion--even in the case of rape or incest, even if giving birth endangers the life of the mother? Do they really think gays and lesbians are acting like animals by loving people in accordance with their innate desires? And, more importantly, do they really care about these questions more than they care about creating jobs, having a stronger foreign policy, and building a better America that includes everyone rather than only those whose behavior and beliefs conform to some ultra-right party line? Keyes is angry that Obama won't have six debates with him because three of the debates he was supposed to have with Ryan were to be held during August. He should be glad Obama doesn't refuse to debate him at all. Alan Keyes, for all his eloquence, clearly has nothing to say that's worth hearing.