James Gilmore Is Running For President: Can A Pro-Choice Republican Win?
Roxane, Jim Gilmore, Charmaine and Jack Yoest
April 2005 Former Governor of Virginia, James Gilmore is considering a run for president.
Gilmore is an economic conservative and is pro-choice to the 13th week. So how can he be elected? How can we truly judge a presidential candidate?
By following Ronald Reagan’s dictum of Personnel is Policy. How will Gilmore govern? Look at the staff he hires.
Your Business Blogger
Charmaine and Gilmore
Gilmore, as governor, surrounded himself with pro-life, economic and social conservatives. And implemented pro-life, pro-family recommendations.
The best indication of future performance is past performance — Gilmore hired pro-lifers before, it is likely he will hire them again.
James Atticus Bowden says in Why Jim Gilmore Can Be President, that,
He can be President of the United States of America because he fills the vacuum on the Right. The former Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia can win the Republican nomination as the strongest Conservative. Jim Gilmore can win the Presidency in a close election, like 2000, because the contrast with the opposition – whether it’s Hillary and Obama, or ‘anybody’ Liberal Democrat, will run hope against despair. Hope always wins with Americans.
Gilmore fills the void Sen. George Allen left after he self-destructed this fall. Moreover, he stands taller than the few fellows running now who share the Right.
The primary-voting majority in the Republican Party is Conservative, and not compromising, on economic, defense and social issues…
Thank you (foot)notes:
Full Disclosure: Your Business Blogger served as Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Resources under James Gilmore.
See Americans for Freedom and Opportunity
Jim Gilmore is a former Military Intelligence Officer, fluent in German. He won the Governor’s race in Virginia by summing the contest to a bumper sticker: No Car Tax
He also provided national leadership on the Year 2000 rollover. Half of the world’s internet traffic passed through the Commonwealth of Virginia (home of AOL) back then, so failure was not an option. Your Business Blogger had a budget of $35 million to ensure that nothing would happen on 31 December 1999 to 1 January 2000. Nothing did.
See ABC News Political Radar.
More on James Gilmore at the jump. This is not an endorsement of any group with which Jack or Charmaine Yoest is affiliated.
From Kelley Drye:
Mr. Gilmore’s practice focuses on corporate, technology, homeland security, information technology, and international. Mr. Gilmore is the Chair of the Homeland Security Practice Group.
Representative Experience:
Since 1999, former Governor Gilmore has been Chairman of the Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction. This is a national panel established by Congress to assess federal, state, and local governments’ capability to respond to the consequences of a terrorist attack. The panel submitted its findings to the President and Congress each of the past three years and is extended for two additional years. Also known as the “Gilmore Commission,” this Commission was influential in developing the Office of Homeland Security.
As Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, established a record of success in improving education in Virginia. Led the successful implementation of rigorous new academic standards and testing to ensure students are learning and that teachers and school administrators are being held accountable.
Where do you get that Jim Gilmore is pro-abortion? Or abortion to 13 weeks is okay?
JAB, thank you for your question.
I worked on his campaign. He is pro-choice. I am pro-life. I voted for him.
“Gilmore has said he personally believes an abortion is a matter between a woman and her physician during the first “eight to 12 weeks” of pregnancy.”
I cannot tell that Gilmore has changed his position. Romney has changed; so can Gilmore — I hope so.
Gilmore is good on the other aspects of abortion: Partial Birth, Gov’t funding, notification.
And hiring pro-lifers who believe in the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.
Jim Gilmore would, I predict, hire pro-lifers. He would have to be more clear on what he would do about the Supreme Court,
“The truth is, the Supreme Court has spoken. No one’s going to ban abortions…”
Quotes from the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/vagov/ads/ad15.htm
Let’s keep in touch,
Jack
Jack: I noticed this on your blog earlier, and was perplexed about what would compel you and Charmaine to support someone who is not pro-life.
Is there a compelling, overriding interest that would outweigh that important point?
Blessings and happy new year! Genevieve
Genevieve,
You are so right: there is no greater issue of our time than the right to life.
Charmaine and I have not endorsed any political candidate.
But we did vote for the pro-choice Gilmore when he ran for governor.
Pro-life voters back then had a dilemma: Gilmore — pro-choice to the 13th week; or Beyer — pro-choice to the partial birth.
Gilmore — with close ties to the Christian Coalition;
or Beyer — endorsed by the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL).
So our challenge was to never vote for a pro-choicer, as James Dobson has pledged, or to influence the debate in the best possible civic action.
Gilmore was better on our issues, not perfect, but better.
He also would have had little effect as Governor in the selection of Supreme Court Justices. His presidential run will, of course, be different.
In the political sausage-making of legislation and politics, Gilmore was the best candidate.
And we were proved right.
Gilmore hired Rock-solid pro-lifers who moved and blocked the worse from Planned Parenthood during his four-year tenure.
I would expect that he would do the same as President.
As compared with the abortion policies of…Hillary.
Thank you for reminding us of what is important,
Jack
“You are so right: there is no greater issue of our time than the right to life.”
Nowhere else in this world do politicians have to pass black and white litmus tests in order to get elected. Just how willing are you to favor a candidate on the basis that he or she opposes abortion and gay marriage? It boggles my mind that the election of the leader of the free world may hinge a single issue that has nothing to do with the candidate’s overall qualifications.
Dear Concerned Conservative,
The right to life surpasses any man’s desire to marry another man or two women or a large farm animal.
If a politico does not see the logic of life beginning at conception and ending at natural death, his judgement should be questioned on any issue.
If he can’t get this issue right, can he get any issue right?
Thank you for commenting,
Jack
Mr. Yoest: with all due respect, comparing homosexuality with bestiality is outrageous and totally uncalled for. Why was this necessary? What thought process prompted you to insert this vile comparison? You could easily have made your point without resorting to this type low-blow. Were you looking to insult and hurt? Sure, you might equate a loving relationship between to consenting adult with animal sex. But please, next time I suggest doing so when 1) this is an issue being debated and 2) you’re prepared to explain your startling logic.
Now as for as this proposition goes:
“If he can’t get this issue right, can he get any issue right?”
For starters, the point of the post appears to be that you’re willing to concede the above when it comes to Gilmore.
I don’t see