So, ever since the Sarah Palin VP announcement, I've been having this weird feeling that there was something strangely familiar about it. The gimmicky and laughably pathetic attempt by Republicans to try and capture some of that identity politics magic. The rushed and panicked search for a Republican nominee. The patently unqualified candidate. And all of it taking place immediately after a transformative, wildly successful speech by Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.
Hmmmmm. . . .
After two days of deliberations capping an often-frustrating six-week search for a new candidate, the Illinois Republican Party on Wednesday night offered its U.S. Senate nomination to former GOP presidential candidate Alan Keyes, who does not live in the Land of Lincoln.
. . .
A run by Keyes, 53, a conservative TV talk show host and lecturer who sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000, would set up a Senate contest between two black candidates for the first time in U.S. history.
The Democratic nominee is state Sen. Barack Obama. Tagged as a rising star in Democratic political circles, he delivered the keynote address at last week's Democratic National Convention.
OH MY GOD!!!! Sarah Palin is to 2008 as Alan Keyes is to 2004!!!!! Sarah Palin is Alan Keyes!!!!!!
Update [2008-9-4 12:57:19 by pontificator]: The always perceptive Archpundit thought of this well before I did:
You remember their on target analysis of how Alan Keyes would show Barack Obama how it’s done...don’t you?