Original sentence: The selection of Keyes backfired; his extreme-right positions ended up driving many Republicans to abstain or to support Obama
Edited sentence: Keyes is a great orator, and a great consrvative.The anticipation was that the debate bewtween Keyes and Obama & would be the best debates since the Lincoln-Douglas debates over 150 years ago...  I happens, though, that Obama out-classed Keyes and out-campaigned, out-manuvered, and generally out-performed the debate...  The selection of Keyes backfired; his extreme-right positions ended up driving many Republicans to abstain or support Obama