IT APPEARS ALL THE MORE LIKELY THAT THE CONSTITUTION PARTY--IDENTIFIED BY THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTRE AS A "PATRIOT" GROUP, KNOW--may be making a serious Presidential bid designed to appeal particularly to the so-called "values voter" crowd not wanting to be caught dead voting for John McCain come Indecision 2008, contending that McCain's platform and articles of faith don't do enough for the Traditional Values agenda.

Wayne Besen of The Carpetbagger Report had this to say about the Constitution Party's chances now that former Republican Presidential candidate Alan Keyes is seeking the Constitution Party's Presidential candidacy:

It's pretty safe to assume that John McCain will be on the presidential ballot in November. It's also safe to assume he'll be up against Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. In most states, Ralph Nader will probably be there, too, though his influence is likely to be limited.

The next question, though, is who else might appear on the ballot.

One need not look too hard to find Democrats unhappy about the prospect of Nader splitting the left and helping McCain, but it's worth keeping in mind that Republicans may have a couple of challenges of their own.

For example, the always amusing Alan Keyes—who, rumor has it, kinda sorta ran for the Republican nomination this year—is moving closer to another campaign outside the confines of the GOP.

Former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes announced Tuesday night that he has left the GOP and is considering joining the Constitution Party.

Keyes, who also ran as a Republican to challenge Barack Obama's U.S. Senate bid in Illinois in 2004, says he is talking with leaders and rank-and-file members of the Constitution Party. "They're considering me, I'm considering them," Keyes said in a conference call late Tuesday night. "We have so much in common that I find it hard to believe we won't be able to work out a common basis for working together."

Realistically, I know it's easy to laugh at Keyes, and it's equally easy to dismiss the Constitution Party—they tend to make far-right Republicans look moderate—but the party does have a spot on the presidential ballot in 41 states, and as recently as 2004, Karl Rove and other Bush-Cheney staffers were admittedly concerned about the ultra-conservative party shaving a few points off the president's total, throwing competitive states to John Kerry.

I don't really expect Keyes, if he runs, to have a significant impact, but in light of far-right discontent with McCain, it might be worth keeping an eye on.

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Again, third parties rarely matter at the presidential level, and I suspect the McCain campaign isn't especially worried about Keyes or [Bob] Barr. It's not even clear if either would be able to qualify for the ballot in every state.

But in a close contest, a percentage point here or there might matter. At a minimum, it's something to keep an eye on.

But then again, the Constitution Party has that certain appeal to the weird and unwholesome element of the community--the vulnerable and easily-influenced all the more so, usually poor, undereducated or homeschooled and easily-led.

The same kind, it turns out, as is Fox Prolefeed's target audience.

In any case, Your Correspondent noted early on where the Constitution Party was identified by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, a major watchdog of hate and bigotry, as a "Patriot" group, with state-level organisations in every state but California according to SPLC monitoring in 2007.

For its part, the SPLC defines "patriot" groups as generally "opposed to the 'New World Order' or advocate or adhere to extreme antigovernment doctrines."

Something worth thinking about if you're thinking about supporting Alan Keyes for President on the Constitution Party's ticket, regardless of whether or not you identify yourself with the same Religiopolitical Right expected to embrace its platform all the more as one with the defence of "Traditional Values" held dear by the Elmer Gantry Institute of Religiopolitical Theology.