From the comments

This person may have just made my point in two paragraphs, when it took me 5:

Eric is wrong on this. In the short run, someone like Keyes is so extreme that he opens our eyes to the bigotry of social conservatives. But in the long run, giving Keyes legitimacy by allowing him to be the nominee of a major party in a big state like Illinois moves the goal posts of political discourse. (Yeah, I know it's a bad metaphor; so what?) All his candidacy does is clear the path for a another person who thinks like he does, but maybe is a bit more diplomatic. (Yeah, so I mixed a metaphor.) That's why I wouldn't mind seeing Keyes ride off into the sunrise. (He's heading east to Maryland, so he can't ride into the sunset.) # posted by Anonymous : 1:46 AM