Republican Presidential candidate Alan Keyes was expected to speak at Claremont McKenna College’s Athenaeum yesterday, but he cancelled unexpectedly after his bodyguard was arrested and his luggage was lost.

According to Julianne Eastman CMC ’01, the student who organized the event, one of Keyes’ bodyguards was arrested Wednesday in a New York airport on gun possession charges. The bodyguard turned the gun in to security, who then arrested him because he did not have a permit to carry a gun in New York State. Keyes also cited a need to prepare for his nationally televised debate Thursday night with Republican candidates Sen. John McCain and Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Another factor, according to Eastman, was that "All of Keyes’ baggage was lost on the trip to California, so he didn’t have any stuff." As a result, he is believed to have been wearing the same suit since Monday.

CMC was hoping that Keyes would be a big draw. The luncheon prior to the speech, open only to CMC students, was full almost a week in advance. The event planners felt that CMC would be more Keyes-friendly than would many other California campuses, with the exception of certain Christian Colleges, such as Biola University in La Merada where Keyes has spread his unflinchingly pro-life, anti-homosexual message in the past. "CMC is a great place for Keyes because it is more conservative than other campuses and would give Keyes one of his best responses," Eastman said.

Employees at the Athenaeum understand that many students will be upset by the cancellation, but are viewing it as an unfortunate turn of events, rather than as a slight by Keyes. Allison Graham, an employee at the Athenaeum, believes that the cancellation was not due to the bodyguard incident but was "cancelled simply because he was overscheduled." Bonnie Snortum, also an employee of the Athenaeum, echoed this sentiment, saying, "The debate began to take priority."

Keyes has consistently received well under ten percent of the vote in Republican Primaries; even his supporters acknowledge that he is not a viable candidate. Still, Keyes is hoping that his forceful stumping and take-no-prisoners debating style will get his message out. According to CMC professor, J.J. Pitney, Keyes, "realizes that his candidacy is all about message."

That message focuses on what he believes to be the impending moral crisis of America, using the forums available to him as a presidential candidate to promulgate his strongly conservative message. Two of Keyes’ chief points are his ‘one hundred percent pro-life’ platform and his plan to abolish the IRS and instead implement a uniform sales tax, similar to Steve Forbes’ flat tax.

Keyes has criticized the other candidates for their unwillingness to rail against the "radical homosexual agenda." Other crucial issues of Keyes’ are those of school choice, which he supports, and, appropriately enough, gun control, which he opposes. In the New Hampshire primary, he beat out both Gary Bauer and Steve Forbes for the most-conservative award, despite the fact that they spent much more money than he did. Forbes spent close to $20 million in New Hampshire, compared to Keyes’ paltry $2.4 million.

An articulate speaker, Keyes is demanding the same treatment more popular candidates receive from the press, insisting that moderators let him finish his commentary. Moderators have traditionally been reluctant to honor his requests. In the January 24 issue of The New Republic, Keyes is described as a candidate "with an oratorical panache exceeded only by the volume of his diatribe."

Before becoming a presidential candidate, Keyes was a US Ambassador to the United Nations and a radio personality who used his program "The Alan Keyes Show: America’s Wake-up Call" to spread his agenda.