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Gilmore's Gaffe?

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A Better Shade of Green?

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Can You Spell ‘Homeschooled’?

6.02.00
Do As I Say, Not As I Do

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Loss for Elian, No Victory for Clinton

6.01.00
W. Blows Off Texas

6.01.00
Another Moscow Summit?

5.31.00
Bob Casey, R.I.P.

5.31.00
Texas Two-Step?

5.29.00
"Art & Ideas" at The New York Times

5.29.00
Tune Out, Light Up

5.25.00
Patsy Get Your Gun: Rosie Needs It

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We Are Alone in the Universe

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Who's Responsible for Columbine?

6/05/00 8:30 a.m.
Gilmore's Gaffe?
The Republican governor draws conservative fire.

By Ben Domenech, NRO Contributing Editor---------------btdome@wm.edu

irginia governor Jim Gilmore is frequently praised as an example of a successful Reagan Republican with solidly conservative credentials — and a definite candidate for a high-ranking position in a Bush Presidential cabinet. But when Gilmore unexpectedly got involved in a Virginia congressional primary last week, he lost more than a few fans among conservative activists.

It all started when Congressman Herb Bateman, who has represented the First District since 1982, announced unexpectedly that he was retiring because of a cancer diagnosis. Since the area is strongly Republican, most analysts agree that the winner of the June 13 GOP primary will go on to sweep the general election. Out of a crowded field, the race has quickly been reduced to a contest between state representative Jo Ann Davis and multimillionaire businessman Paul Jost.

Davis is an outspoken conservative and small-business owner who has garnered endorsements in the past from the NRA, the Virginia Society for Human Life, and the Madison Project. Popular with the conservative grass roots, Davis won reelection to her house seat last year with more than 72% of the vote, and according to a Polling Company study last month, leads Jost by 16 percentage points among likely voters. So when Gilmore stepped into the race last week with an endorsement of Jost, conservatives cried foul.

“I have always considered the Governor an ally in the fight for family values here in the Commonwealth,” said Roger Pogge, First District Republican Chairman. “He has consistently voted to uphold and strengthen the laws which are of concern to the families of Virginia. I am shocked at this endorsement.” “Shocked”-because on the same day that Gilmore publicly endorsed Jost, the Fredericksburg Free Lance Star published an article exposing some of Jost's liberal tendencies. According to the Star, Jost had previously contributed $2,500 to Republicans for Choice, despite the fact that he currently claims the pro-life label. In 1997, during an unsuccessful race for Alexandria City Council, Jost had received an “A” rating from the Gay and Lesbian Community Association. And on a questionnaire issued by the National Organization for Women, Jost was asked the following questions:

“Do you support a woman's right to choose to have an abortion?” “Do you oppose parental notification/consent laws?” Jost answered “yes” to both. His head consultant, Dick Leggitt, responded to attacks by claiming that Jost agreed with the first question because he does favor allowing a woman the right to choose — in situations of rape, incest, or harm to the mother's life. And the campaign explains away the $2,500 contribution because Jost's then-girlfriend (now his wife) was the executive director of Republicans for Choice at the time. According to some Richmond insiders, Gilmore's endorsement was actually engineered by Leggitt, who has worked as a consultant for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor John Hager. Others point to Jost's contribution of $27,000 to Gilmore's political action committee over the past few years.

Jost also serves on the Board of Visitors overseeing the College of William and Mary, and has had to defend many of his controversial actions on the board over the past few months, where he has been mired in personal feuds with several other members. In September of last year, the student newspaper at the college published a scathing editorial attacking Jost's frequently argumentative attitude as “childish” and “appalling.” Despite all of this, some Gilmore supporters believe that Jost is a more viable candidate than Davis.

“Jost is a longtime supporter of Jim Gilmore, who has the business community on his side and has fought for the Governor's interests in the field of higher education,” said Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform. “He's taken Governor Bush's positions on tax cuts and abortion, and he can win this race.”

Regardless of Jost's abilities, many Virginia conservatives think that the Governor's involvement could backfire in the end. “Gilmore's chosen to support this guy rather than an elected delegate, who has consistently supported the Governor's legislation in the Virginia house, and has been endorsed by House Speaker Vance Wilkins,” said Robin DeJarnette, a Virginia activist. “I have the feeling this endorsement is going to come back to haunt the Governor.”

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