Keyes: man of the hour

First, read this article by Jon Rowe on the strange intellectual upbringing (and, perhaps, cognitive dissonance) of Alan Keyes. In his conclusion, Rowe notes:

I termed Keyes a “gentleman” because, according to Straussians like Bloom, “philosophers” must make alliances with “gentlemen.” Philosophers are inherently nihilistic; they know there is no God; they are capable of gazing into the abyss without flinching; but they ought to keep philosophy secret. They should publicly support the “gentlemen,” those who believe in “noble lies” like orthodox Christianity. The public needs religion and it needs eloquent spokesman on behalf of religion, hence Alan Keyes. Bloom may have helped to create this “gentleman” Keyes. But in reading Keyes’s above mentioned screed against homosexuals, one wonders if Bloom helped to create, not a gentleman, but just a crank.

Next, read Ed Brayton's deconstruction of recent Keyes inanity. Keyes has flip-flopped on federalism (as we all knew), and now, more notably, has a new reparations policy sprouting in his fertile brain--this from the man who claimed, in no uncertain terms, that Union blood already paid the debt.

Odds are, Keyes will claim a moral victory after the Illinois election. Sadly, he won't even have that.