Come midsummer, expect to see Keyes at the Republicans' convention in Philadelphia, decrying the moral decay of America, or if he is not invited to address the delegates, decrying the snub . . . If I am not, it will say something negative to a whole bunch of people around the country. Even people who disagree with me tend to respect what I think they understand to be a sincere voice of conviction. I've never had that problem. Other people may, but I've never had it.
Respect is one thing in politics, but votes are another.
At the Philadelphia convention, Keyes will be hard pressed to fill a shuttle bus with the delegates he has won during the primary season. George W. Bush buried eight other Republican candidates by mid-March, but Keyes refuses to stop campaigning and remains Bush's lone challenger. They pump his hand in airports and restaurants. The devotion of Keyes' supporters is what keeps him in the race, he says. Since I asked them to come in win or lose, it seems to me I have to continue working for them, win or lose.