Jim Gilmore Running for President (for No Apparent Reason)

As expected, former Virginia Governor and Republican National Committee chairman Jim Gilmore has tossed his hat into the ring:

As expected, former Virginia Governor and Republican National Committee chairman Jim Gilmore has tossed his hat into the ring:

His entry into the 2016 race makes him the 17th major Republican candidate for president.

The Republican said back at the beginning of July that he planned a White House run.

“I bring to the table experience that others don’t have,” Gilmore said in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch in July. He told the paper that he’ll make his announcement during the first week of August.

Not only did he make no splash in his 2008 run for the nomination—dropping out at almost exactly this point in that cycle—but he followed that up with a spectacular loss to Mark Warner for the Senate four months later. He won only four of ninety-five counties and got 33 percent to Warner’s 65. Granting that was a wave election in which Obama became the first Democrat to carry the state in a presidential election in decades, that was a horrible showing. By contrast, fellow former governor and RNC chair Ed Gillespie lost to Warner by less than one percent in 2014.

No one outside his household is clamoring for Gilmore to run. He has no constituency or following. There’s simply no chance that he’ll win the nomination or even make a showing sufficiently respectable as to make him an attractive vice presidential selection despite Virginia’s swing status. It’s unlikely that he’ll make enough of a dent in the field of 17 to increase his standing on the Fox News circuit.

But, aside from that, why not?

 

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Neil Hudelson says:

    I believe this is the third quick post about Gilmore, and all three times I’ve had to remind myself just who the hell he is.

    And I actually pay attention to this stuff.

    I think I need to contact Mr. Gilmore about some campaign services. A phrase that starts with “a fool and his money” comes to mind.