Nov. 18, 1999
By Raenelle Kwock
CyberCaucus
2000 News Service
Drake University
DES MOINES, Iowa -- America needs to be revived, said Ron Granzow, state chairman in Iowa for the Alan Keyes campaign, so he got involved and supports Keyes, a candidate for the Republican nomination, in hopes of a better tomorrow.
"I looked for the one that I liked best and in Des Moines that's not hard to do," he said. "When they first come in, you can go see everyone of them, I did, and I decided that Alan Keyes was the person that believed the way that I did."
Granzow said he felt this way about Keyes in 1995, after a 1994 incident when he was upset with Rep. Neal Smith, who betrayed him by saying he would not vote for assault rifles but did. Granzow said he got involved after that and has not stopped.
Keyes' campaign got off to a late start in 1996. But Keyes is trying to capture the Republican nomination in 2000, and his Des Moines office staffers are doing what they can.
Granzow said this office has three women who are in charge of the office, events and volunteers. Even though these women are involved, Granzow said, one of the things that breaks his heart is when Americans say it doesn't do any good to get involved.
"It's not true," he said. "There's very so very few people that do get involved that anybody that doesn't get involved makes a difference."
The state chairman's job is just like a manager's, Granzow said. It consists of planning itineraries, advertising, recruiting people, working with office staff, coordinating with the state chairmen in various counties, directing the office and coordinating activities with national people.
"It's a management exercise, and then I'm as a manager here supposed to keep track of things, make sure that no one's having a problem," he said. "Are any problems, any flat tires around here, keep things in order, and so each of us has our responsibilities in the evening to call our portion of the state, work with the grassroots," he said. "So each of these people become managers, they're managers themselves and ... well, all of us are in charge, then take our turn managing, helping manage the activities of the people out there in the boondocks. So they become managers, and they go through the same thing."
All organizations have to know their purpose and reason for doing so, Granzow said. "And our purpose is to renew America," he said.
Keyes was president of Citizens Against Government Waste from 1989-91 and founded the group's National Taxpayers' Action Day.
"The thing that makes Alan Keyes different from all the others is this: All the others are coming up with something they're going to change, going to fix something, going to fix a problem, have to fix something, usually it's just a Band-Aid, have to bail out farmers. Why are the farmers in trouble in the first place? There's something wrong with the system," Graznow said.
Granzow also said free medical health care could be accomplished if taxes were cut back.
Keyes served in the U.S. Foreign Service and on the staff of the National Security Council before becoming President Reagan's ambassador to the U. N. Economic and Social Council as deputy to Jeane Kirkpatrick (1983-85), representing the United States in the U.N. General Assembly.
"Nobody thinks that way," he said. "But Ambassador Keyes looks at things from the standpoint of the way the Constitution is written, the Declaration of Independence, so that's a wonderful system that we have that's kept us free. I believe that the only way you [can] be a free people is two ways it has to be a constitutional form of government ... [and] people that respect the law."
Granzow said Keyes supporters are history buffs, read a lot more, generally are more interested in American history and other history, but that doesn't mean they are not forward looking.
"It's nice to be forward looking from the eyes of our founding fathers," he said.
Keyes has no weakness, Granzow said. "He's a many issue person," he said. "I don't care what question you ask him. He knows the answer."
Keyes' slogan "Finally! The Liberals Lose The Debate!" is plastered all over the tiny office in downtown Des Moines. Granzow said the slogan speaks about pro-life and strengthening the military. Keyes is married with three children.
Granzow said Keyes is like Reagan because he communicates well. "So a lot of people say Alan Keyes is a great speaker," he said. "That's an insult. What does it take to be a great speaker? It takes a great mind, takes an intellect, and you have to have vision and be insightful."
Keyes earned his Ph.D. in governmental affairs in 1979 from Harvard University.
The press has not been nice to Keyes, Granzow said. "The press ignores Alan Keyes," he said. "They ignore him."
Granzow said Keyes may or may not get the presidential nod, or the vice presidential nod, but he will not lose. "Because he's a man of principle," he said. "He doesn't put his finger up in the wind to see what you like or don't like. He's out there so you can be more involved."