Keyes was MSNBC's token conservative. He was their sacrificial lamb, slaughtered for an appearance of objectivity. No one REALLY thought he was gonna last a full year did they???
Beyond that, Mr. Keyes was his OWN demise. He was TOO smart for his own good. His program was a FULL HOUR on a single subject. SHort attention span theatre watchers couldn't handle it.
Too often, his guests were there to play the patsy for his soliloquies. They existed for him to soapbox. Strong opinions evoke strong emotions, and people generally don't like their preconceived ideas challenged for a full hour. I also saw too many times where it was 2 and even three against one in various segments - Mr. Keyes ALWAYS stacking the deck in his favor.
Lastly, he spent the last three months of his show EXCLUSIVELY on two topics - the Catholic Church, and the Middle East. There were other things going on in the world. And after the first FIFTEEN hour long shows on a given subject, what really is LEFT to be said??
Still, he's a great statesman, and the premier Conservative thinker of our day. I'll always vote for him in any election he runs for. But the same good qulaities that made him lose his TV show will keep him from ever reaching high political office. He ought to run for Governor, or Mayor, some place he could rally do some good.