Earlier this summer, Jack Ryan was forced out of the Senate race by a scandal surrounding his divorce from actress Jeri Ryan. Since that time, the GOP has been scrambling to find a replacement worthy of challenging the up and coming Democratic star Barack Obama. The GOP flirted with legendary Bears' coach Mike Ditka before he ultimately refused the nomination. Enter Alan Keyes.
Ambassador Keyes is eminently qualified for the seat (full bio) and is an an experienced campaigner. Keyes has twice run for the US Senate in Maryland and has twice made a run at the Presidency. Keyes has already struck an aggressive tone in this campaign, challenging the young Obama to honor his original offer to debate the Republican nominee 6 times before November 2.
Keyes is certainly at a disadvantage due to his late entry in the race (his website is not even finished as of Tuesday night) and trailing badly in terms of fundraising. Still, the race should be intriguing since Keyes offers a truly conservative alternative to the formidible Obama and clearly means business.
