Brian Eric Rohrbough, January 18, 1959 (Casper, Wyo.) -
VP candidate for America's Independent Party (2008)
Running mate with nominee: Alan Lee Keyes (b. 1950)
Popular vote: 5,835 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
As an African American Republican Christian Conservative, Alan Keyes was something of an anomaly on the political landscape. Sometimes referred to as a "Theocratic Neocon," the Harvard-educated Dr. Keyes had served as a diplomat in various capacities starting in 1979. In the Reagan years he was Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and later Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs from 1985 to 1987. He was subsequently known as former Ambassador Keyes in the media.
By 2008 he had also become known as a perennial candidate. He had made three attempts for the US Senate, 1988, 1992, and 2004 (losing to Obama in that last one), and for US President in the Republican primaries 1996 and 2000. 2008 was his third try.
When Keyes' Republican prospects evaporated he announced on Apr. 15, 2008 he was switching parties and was now a candidate for the Constitution Party Presidential nomination. He said, "I believe people deserve a choice. They certainly deserve a conservative choice — something neither John McCain, Hillary Clinton, nor Barack Obama can offer voters. All they can offer is empty promises based on liberal track records." Constitution Party stalwarts were wary of Keyes' late conversion. He certainly had the evangelical Christian credentials but also a Neocon foreign policy track record was out of step with them. Besides, 2004 VP nominee Chuck Baldwin was already on track to gain the nomination.
Although Baldwin did win the national CP nomination, the American Independent Party which had been affiliate since 1991 was torn apart over the selection. The pro-Constitution Party faction nominated Baldwin, and the anti-Constitution Party faction nominated Keyes. Both held their own conventions regarding the other as an invalid gathering. The California Secretary of State and later the court sided with the Keyes faction and thus the era of the AIP's association with the CP came to an end. Instead, the AIP became an affiliate of the newly invented America's Independent Party which also nominated Keyes. By the time the dust settled it was really too late for Baldwin to gain access to the printed ballot in California but he did register as a write-in.
This chapter of AIP history was interpreted by the victors on their webpage--
History repeated itself after the death of our revered founder, William Shearer in early 2007. Once again outside forces sought to determine the AIP's future, but this time it was the Constitution Party that sought to dominate the American Independent Party of California through surrogates, a misguided rump faction that came to be known as "The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight." Defeating this assault on the independence of the AIP also took three long and costly years from 2008 to 2011. After illegitimate attempts to eject Edward Noonan from the Chairmanship by the daughter of the late founder William Shearer failed, the rump faction she led sought aid from the founder of the Constitution Party, Howard Phillips, to deny the American Independent Party its rightful voice at the Presidential nominating Convention in 2008 by a series of dastardly tricks. After successfully maintaining its right to vote on the Presidential nomination, the AIP was subjected to a further attack when the rump group held its own "Convention" and elected its own officers, entirely without authorization and contrary to both AIP Bylaws and the California Election Code. A legal battle for control of the Party ensued, which was finally resolved in favor of the legitimate party leadership on August 29, 2011.
The curious fact the party of segregationist George Wallace now had an African American standard bearer was not lost on politicos of all stripes.
The Keyes faction of the AIP was viewed as "pro-war" within the ranks of critics on the Right. The platform of America's Independent Party was pretty much the same as the American Independent Party of years past, except perhaps for the America's military plank--
Peace through Strength
We believe in a supremely strong, prepared, and well-equipped civilian-controlled United States military, and a bold, visionary and intelligent program of principled constructive engagement with the rest of the world. For us, "peace through strength" is not a mere slogan. It is the means of survival for our country in a very dangerous and often hostile world. Our friendship should be a sought-after possession of all men and women of good will everywhere in the world. Our enmity should be something that all rightfully fear.
As Ronald Reagan opposed and defeated the designs and desire of the Soviet Union to dominate the world and place it under the tyranny of their Evil Empire, we stand unalterably opposed to all who approve of, plan or commit terrorist acts. Since the first principle of America is the protection of innocent human life, any who would use acts of terrorism targeted at innocent civilians to forward their political, ideological or religious aims incur our effective and determined enmity.
Keyes' official VP in America's Independent Party was Brian Rohrbough, who became an involuntary public figure starting with his son being one of the victims of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. In an effort to make sense of a senseless act, Rohrbough settled on blaming what he calls our "culture of death." This included--
Abortion: "We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong. And I assure you the murder of innocent children is always wrong, including by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children."
The theory of evolution: "This country is in a moral free-fall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing him with evolution, where the strong kill the weak, without moral consequences and life has no inherent value."
Rohrbough had become a prominent anti-abortion activist by the time he was chosen to be Keyes' running-mate. Siding with the "absolutist" faction as the anti-choice groups in Colorado experienced a major schism, Rohrbough took part in the Right-wing takedown of Mitt Romney during the 2008 Republican primaries ("The evidence is indisputable — Mitt Romney is lying to get Christian votes," said Rohrbough) as well as being highly critical of the National Right to Life Committee.
The Keyes/Rohrbough ticket was on the ballot in Colorado (0.13%) and Florida (0.03%). In addition Rohrbough was considered the write-in running-mate in Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and Utah.
Keyes national vote was 47,941 (0.04%). 5,835 (0.00%) of those came from the ticket with Rohrbough. Keyes' other VPs were Wiley Drake in California, Marvin Sprouse Jr. in Texas, and Steve Schulin in Virginia. Write-in votes for Keyes were reported in 12 more states where no running-mate was included.
Election history: none
Other occupations: car stereo business, president of Colorado Right to Life, president of American Right to Life, author
Notes:
Rohrbough engaged in a flurry of various controversial lawsuits following Columbine.
