# Alan Keyes is Suing Obama
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 19, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513 "2008-11-19T20:20:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/1 "2008-11-19T20:20:22Z")
[Doesn’t seem to think Obama’s a citizen.](http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/elections/presheadlines/34587804.html)
> [@](#):
>
> According to a press release from the American Independent Party, former presidential candidate Alan Keyes and other members of the party have filed suit in California Superior Court in Sacramento to stop the state from giving its electoral votes to President-elect Barack Obama until documentary evidence is provided to prove Obama is indeed a natural born citizen of the United States.
Good luck with that, guys. Even if Obama produces the _original_ birth certificate, they’ll no doubt claim its a forgery and demand that it be subjected to forensic tests. Then when those come back saying its legit, they’ll concoct some _other_ stupid reason as to why its invalid. Some people really need to get a life.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/2 "2008-11-19T20:23:45Z")
Alan Keyes is just trying to make up for the fact if it wasn’t for him, it’s quite possible that Obama wouldn’t be the President-Elect right now.
He would help the GOP out a lot more by just going away.
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/3 "2008-11-19T20:29:18Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> Alan Keyes is just trying to make up for the fact if it wasn’t for him, it’s quite possible that Obama wouldn’t be the President-Elect right now.
>
> He would help the GOP out a lot more by just going away.
What role do you feel that Mr. Keyes played in Senator McCain’s defeat?
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/4 "2008-11-19T20:31:20Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#):
>
> What role do you feel that Mr. Keyes played in Senator McCain’s defeat?
None at all. However, he played a huge, huge role in getting Obama elected Senator, by running against him. If Obama had not been elected Senator, I’m guessing that he wouldn’t have been running for President…at least, not now.
ETA: I’ve been completely puzzed for the last few years as to why on earth the local GOP thought that Keyes had even a shadow of a chance of beating Obama in that race. It’s a mystery as to how they could have been that stupid.
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### Author:  [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/5 "2008-11-19T20:33:23Z")
I’d say Mike Ditka has a bigger role in Obama being President than Keyes does. The only people who were going to vote for Keyes were people who wouldn’t vote for ANYONE who had a D next to their name.
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/6 "2008-11-19T20:33:55Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> None at all. However, he played a huge, huge role in getting Obama elected Senator, by running against him. If Obama had not been elected Senator, I’m guessing that he wouldn’t have been running for President…at least, not now.
>
> ETA: I’ve been completely puzzed for the last few years as to why on earth the local GOP thought that Keyes had even a shadow of a chance of beating Obama in that race. It’s a mystery as to how they could have been that stupid.
All black people look alike?
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### Author:  [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/7 "2008-11-19T20:37:48Z")
Keyes is just jealous that _he_ didn’t get to be the first black president.
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/8 "2008-11-19T20:37:58Z")
No, **Skald** , relax. Keyes was imported by the GOP to run against Obama after Jeri Ryan’s husband exploded in flames.
_Him_ I blame.
Keyes needs to go away.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/9 "2008-11-19T20:39:12Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#):
>
> I’d say Mike Ditka has a bigger role in Obama being President than Keyes does. The only people who were going to vote for Keyes were people who wouldn’t vote for ANYONE who had a D next to their name.
That’s exactly right, and that’s a pretty small portion of the population in this state. So…yeah, Mike Ditka could have seriously changed history…pretty weird to think about!
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer]
All black people look alike?
[/QUOTE]
What could be a stupider reason than that?
ETA:
[QUOTE=Ivylass]
No, **Skald** , relax. Keyes was imported by the GOP to run against Obama after Jeri Ryan’s husband exploded in flames.
[/QUOTE]
I think **Skald** was giving a slightly tongue-in-cheek answer to how the GOP could have been so stupid…that they drafted a Black conservative on purpose, to run against another Black guy.
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### Author:  [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/10 "2008-11-19T20:40:30Z")
I just saw this thread out of the corner of my eye and thought it said “Alicia Keyes…” A true WTF moment!
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### Author:  [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/11 "2008-11-19T20:41:21Z")
John McCain was born in Panama; I wonder if Keyes would’ve sued him, too.
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### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/12 "2008-11-19T20:46:11Z")
Unless I see video of Obama being birthed with a same day newspaper headline from the Oahu Times Chronicle Bee, I gotta go with Keyes on this one.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/13 "2008-11-19T20:47:54Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> None at all. However, he played a huge, huge role in getting Obama elected Senator, by running against him. If Obama had not been elected Senator, I’m guessing that he wouldn’t have been running for President…at least, not now.
Obama was going to win by a wide margin regardless of who the Republicans threw up against him. It was that dude who was married to 7 of 9 who flushed the GOP’s chances against Obama down the toilet, and he was losing anyway even before his scandal blew up (remember him hiring a stalker to follow Obama 24/7 with a video camera?).
> [@](#):
>
> ETA: I’ve been completely puzzed for the last few years as to why on earth the local GOP thought that Keyes had even a shadow of a chance of beating Obama in that race. It’s a mystery as to how they could have been that stupid.
They didn’t think he could win. They just couldn’t get anybody else to do it. Keyes was chosen as a sacrificial lamb, not as a serious challenger.
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### Author:  [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/14 "2008-11-19T20:51:40Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#):
>
> Unless I see video of Obama being birthed with a same day newspaper headline from the Oahu Times Chronicle Bee, I gotta go with Keyes on this one.
[Reminds me of this. . . hilarious!](http://thetravisty.com/Chappelles_Show/wmv/R._Kelly_Trial.htm) Starts at about 1:15.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/15 "2008-11-19T20:53:15Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> Obama was going to win by a wide margin regardless of who the Republicans threw up against him. It was that dude who was married to 7 of 9 who flushed the GOP’s chances against Obama down the toilet, and he was losing anyway even before his scandal blew up (remember him hiring a stalker to follow Obama 24/7 with a video camera?).
>
> They didn’t think he could win. They just couldn’t get anybody else to do it. Keyes was chosen as a sacrificial lamb, not as a serious challenger.
I’m not so sure he would have won by a wide margin if Mike Ditka had run against him, and I’m serious about that.
And, yes, it’s really Jack Ryan’s fault for being mean to 7 of 9, and there’s probably a whole bunch of other places to lay blame as well.
BUT…my point was that Alan Keyes has a personal grudge against Obama. He never even conceded the race, or called Obama to congratulate him. The guy’s an asshole and a nutcase, so if he’s going after Obama now, I’m really not surprised.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/16 "2008-11-19T20:57:51Z")
Agreed on the last part, but Ditka was polling well behind Obama as a potential candidate too. It was still Illinois, after all.
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### Author:  [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/17 "2008-11-19T20:58:15Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> They didn’t think he could win. They just couldn’t get anybody else to do it. Keyes was chosen as a sacrificial lamb, not as a serious challenger.
Sometimes I wonder if the whole purpose was to discredit Keyes. He’d already made himself a nuisance to a lot of Republicans in previous election years.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/18 "2008-11-19T21:05:55Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> Agreed on the last part, but Ditka was polling well behind Obama as a potential candidate too. It was still Illinois, after all.
Well, it’s hard to say what might happen with any potential candidate, but Alan Keyes never had a shot in hell.
[QUOTE=WF Tomba]
Sometimes I wonder if the whole purpose was to discredit Keyes. He’d already made himself a nuisance to a lot of Republicans in previous election years.
[/QUOTE]
Interesting thought.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/19 "2008-11-19T21:06:20Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#):
>
> Sometimes I wonder if the whole purpose was to discredit Keyes. He’d already made himself a nuisance to a lot of Republicans in previous election years.
I think the idea was that he could go after Obama hard, since he’s nuts, and also wouldn’t be accused of racism. The plan might’ve been to have him take this new golden boy down a peg. And he did say some crazy shit, but since Obama had been campaigning all around the state for a few months while the GOP tried to find someone to lose the race for them, none of it stuck at all, and Obama won by something like 70-30.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-keyes-is-suing-obama/473513/20 "2008-11-19T21:07:21Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> ETA: I think **Skald** was giving a slightly tongue-in-cheek answer to how the GOP could have been so stupid…that they drafted a Black conservative on purpose, to run against another Black guy.
The GOP couldn’t be _that_ stupid. That would be like putting a woman on the Presidential ticket just because they women’s votes.
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