ILLINOIS REPUBLICANS, at one time a canny and crafty lot, have made a stupid error in hiring Alan Keyes to slap together what’s left of the party’s U.S. Senate nomination and go howling off into battle against Democrat Barack Obama. The Democrat’s wunder-candidate will give this race national attention and the local GOPer’s thick-headed Grand Strategy–“hmmm, they’ve got a black candidate who can give one hell of a speech . . . we need a black candidate who can give a fiery speech”–is likely to set the already tattered Illinois Republican party back at least another five years.

Keyes will be the perfect foil for Obama to campaign against, and the selection of Keyes will seem exactly the shoddy and cynical move that it is. The Republicans should know better.