The Gilmore bloggers have made much of the Governor’s record, and while I think it spottier than they do, Gilmore’s tenure as governor gave him executive experience that cannot be denied.
The trouble is this: while that experience would be invaluable for Gilmore’s earlier ambitions (to become President of the United States), it is ill-suited for the United States Senate.
Lest anyone forget, the Senate is a legislative body, where the talents required are not the same as those gained via service in the executive branch. In the legislature, one must learn to build coalitions, drive issues through committees, make oneself heard despite being a voice among many, and advance the needs and values of one’s constituents against multiple colleagues trying to do the same thing for their constituents, all while not sacrificing dear and long-held principles, which likely get the legislator elected in the first place.
Jim Gilmore has served as a Commonwealth’s Attorney, Attorney General, and Governor, but his experience as a legislator is absolute zero.
Some would add that Gilmore’s temperament is not suited for a legislature either. I do not share that view. For starters, some of America’s best Senators and Congressmen were aloof loners or irascible curmudgeons (John Randolph, John Quincy Adams, Charles Sumner, Robert Taft, Jesse Helms, and Tom Coburn); so I don’t put much stock in the need for joviality, gregariousness, or mild manners. Secondly, I tend to think Gilmore’s supposedly prickly personality has been largely exaggerated by those who do not know him well.
What is more important to me is a record of standing up for one’s values and one’s constituents - without compromising either - amidst the whirl of rush of parliamentary ebbs and flows. Neither Gilmore nor Mark Warner has one day under their belts in this realm.
Bob Marshall, by contrast, has been doing this for sixteen years - something to keep in mind as the three candidates send out their resumes to the people of Virginia.
January 14, 2008 at 10:24 am |
It certainly is a good argument in the Republican primary, probably won’t help in the general election. I think the question about Marshall and his legislative record is this. Hasn’t be more effective at trying to stop things getting passed then getting things passed. He does have the gay marraige amendment for the constitution (which I didn’t vote for because of the legalese in it), and some legislation on life issues. What else has he done as a legislator?
January 14, 2008 at 10:51 am |
Thank you for providing a link to Marshall’s site. That is helping me find out more about him.