Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes are in the final
days of circulating a petition endorsing Keyes for Vice-President as George W.
Bush's running mate. The nationwide petition drive, sponsored by a grassroots
organization called Keyes for Vice-President, was launched in May by a network
of volunteers.
The group is targeting Second Amendment supporters, pro-life advocates,
school-choice promoters, income-tax opponents, constitutionalists, and other
conservatives.
The petition states that Ambassador Keyes is "widely considered the most
formidable defender of the principles of the Republican Party," "the
winner of the Republican Presidential Debates," and the party's
"rising star," generating "deep and passionate support wherever
he speaks and inspiring people at the grassroots to work tirelessly for the
Republican cause."
It also says Keyes "possesses invaluable knowledge and experience in
international relations that America sorely needs as we face the global
uncertainties of the new millennium," and that Keyes would make the
Republican ticket "virtually unbeatable" in the fall.
Those interested in signing the petition can download a copy at http://www.keyesvp.com.
Petition organizers say that many conservatives will vote for George W. Bush
only if Keyes is on the ticket, assuring conservatives a powerful voice in a
Bush administration.
They also believe Bush needs Keyes as his running mate if Bush is to beat
Vice-President Al Gore.
Stefani Stone, National Coordinator of Keyes for Vice-President, said that
"Bush needs Keyes to draw the conservative vote." She also said,
"Keyes unites Americans from all backgrounds and persuasions around our
nation's founding principles." She said a Bush/Keyes ticket would all but
ensure a Republican win against the Democrats.
Known for his stirring speeches on the principles of the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution, Keyes is considered by some the
quintessential conservative. During the presidential primaries, he based his
positions on the premises of America's founding documents, arguing that
citizens' rights are God-given and that government's collective authority cannot
exceed the individual rights of citizens.
Keyes is an articulate opponent of abortion, gun control, racial quotas,
special homosexual rights, judicial activism, and U.N. intrusion into American
sovereignty. He favors returning government to its constitutional role,
respecting parental choice in education, guaranteeing the free exercise of
religion, and replacing the income tax with an excise--or consumption--tax.
In the Republican presidential primaries, Keyes averaged a strong 16% in his
twelve best outings.
Keyes has a Ph.D. in government from Harvard and wrote his dissertation on
America's founding ideals. He worked 11 years in the U.S. State Department,
serving as Reagan's ambassador to the U.N. General Assembly and as an Assistant
Secretary of State. He has
