Jim Gilmore: The First Blogging President?
Promises a White House Blog if Elected
By Bluey Posted in 2008 | Featured Stories — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore promised today that he would start a White House blog if elected president in 2008. "I would have a blog," he said during a meeting with conservative bloggers at The Heritage Foundation. "We'll do a blog for the White House."
Gilmore's proclamation makes him the first Republican, and possibly the first candidate, to support the idea of a White House blog. Gilmore said he is a strong advocate for communicating on the Internet because it allows individuals to bypass the mainstream media.
The current White House communications staff has ramped up its outreach to bloggers under the direction of Press Secretary Tony Snow and Internet Director David Almacy. Snow has held two conference calls with bloggers and reads blogs daily. Gilmore, apparently, wants to take blogging to a new level.
The former RNC chairman also told bloggers that he's the only conservative in the race. He recited a list of reasons why the leading candidates -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney -- are not conservatives.
Read on ...
"There isn't anybody in this race who has a better resume than I do," Gilmore said. "I've kept my word and did what I said I was going to do."
In a swipe at Romney, Gilmore said he hadn't "shifted" in his views. He called Romney a "liberal governor" and "liberal candidate" from Massachusetts. He was equally tough on McCain and Giuliani. He cited McCain's support for a guest-worker program, opposition to tax cuts and embrace of campaign-finance reform as ideas that wouldn't play well with conservatives. Gilmore said Giuliani's support for gun control, gay marriage and abortion would never fly with the conservative base.
Gilmore's remarks focused mostly on his national security background and work in the area of homeland security. Gilmore chaired a commission prior to and after 9/11 known as the U.S. Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction, which offered recommendations that, if adopted, Gilmore said would have saved lives during the attack on the World Trade Center.
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Jim Gilmore: The First Blogging President? 6 Comments (0 topical, 6 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
My ears are perking up. Finally someone who at least has mentioned second amendment issues (positively).
If Gilmore can show that he can bring in some money and be a force in the race, then I would be willing to consider him.
For now, my list remains:
Romney
Guiliani
McCain
if the whole staff ends up blogging from each of their desks every day, something could easily get out of hand.
Nor did I expect to be. My list remains the same as Oz.
Romney
Guiliani
McCain
He or Hunter is the only true conservative choice.
hopefully Gilmore will not be our nominee. I moved to VA in the last days of the Allen governorship, and the Republican party was healthy, wealthy, and wise. Gilmore breezed into office and proceded to sink. He was much less popular when he left, which many of us felt killed the Republican chances to keep the governorship in 2001, even though Bush carried the state in 2000.
The fact is that the man is charisma-challenged. Blog or no blog, he just doesn't inspire. I would, however, consider him to be an excellent candidate for the Senate and replace the RINO John Warner: last in war, first in appeasement, but seventh with Elizabeth Taylor