A politician who stands for a few things I do not agree with was in Charleston over the weekend campaigning for an Illinois seat in the U.S. Senate.

But even though the views between myself and Mr. Alan Keyes may clash on different points, his speech given in Charleston is something I very much regret not being able to view.

Not very often on the campus of Eastern, or near it, does the opportunity arise to meet and greet the people who have a chance at shaping the nation for years to come.

That chance came this weekend, as well as over the summer when the Democratic nominee also visited Coles County. Those who are truly interested in the elections that take place this fall should have been there to watch at least one of the senatorial candidates.

Keyes is a man who stands on the far right of many issues – too far right for many people in his own party. But the fact that he is a man who will have a major impact on the political process in the coming months should be interesting enough of a reason to watch him speak, no matter where one’s party affiliations may lie.

Considering Keyes is facing off against one of the bright new faces of the Democratic party in Barack O’Bama, the interest level peaked for Keyes and what he may stand for in opposition of the younger candidate.

The race has been an unexpected one from the start as O’Bama has risen out of nowhere to be a new political star and Keyes has come from Maryland to be the Republican candidate in Illinois.

There has been no doubt that, up to this point, Keyes has made a splash in the race because of his extremely conflicting views with his opponent.

While O’Bama has preached about openness on different issues, including the current state of the economy and the divisiveness between the two major political parties, Keyes has stood true to his persona of being a closed-minded conservative who does not wish to open up to different ideas. Such was the case when he discussed Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter, mentioning she should be prayed for because she is a lesbian.

He has also discussed whether people who can look back on their family’s lineage and see a history that included slavery should be compensated for previous horrible acts through monetary reparations.

Even though Keyes has stayed true to many of the things he previously was known for, he still has caused some controversy from the start.

When he was introduced as the Republican candidate for the senate seat, Keyes was a bit of a surprise considering he was an out-of-state candidate replacing what many republicans thought was their next golden boy, Jack Ryan.

Keyes was automatically put on the defensive because he was running for senate in Illinois, even though he had been living in Maryland, a tactic he has openly disagreed with since it was previously done by current Senator Hillary Clinton, who was running in New York without previously living in the state.

As the November election day creeps up on everyone, the kind of opportunities to view such a person up close should not be missed, at least for those who are truly interested in the campaign races leading up to the election.

Many people could have had a firsthand look at one of the members of the senatorial race just a few days ago.

I wish I had been one of those people.