John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) The second Republican Presidential debate came down to a game of musical chairs. There were 15 chairs and 16 candidates, and in the end, former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore was the one left standing. With less than one percent of the vote in national polls, he was not invited to the debate in Simi Valley, California.
“CNN had pre-selected certain polls, but they ignored others where I’m actually polling ahead,” Gilmore told WMAL’s Drive at Five Wednesday. “I think [CNN] is in violation of its duty as steward of the process, but it isn’t going to change my strategy,” he added.
Gilmore’s strategy is to convince Americans he can actually win in November of 2016.
“I am actually an electable conservative – a person who has served in office, who has a track record that’s strong, who could actually be the President,” says Gilmore, who claims his views are different from many of the candidates who debated Wednesday night.
“I’m different from Donald Trump on birthright citizenship. I’m different from Scott Walker, who wants to build a wall across the American-Canadian border. And these are differentiations that I would love to have had the opportunity to make,” Gilmore told WMAL.
The longtime politician says he’s not impressed with the “outsider” theme that has dominated the early campaigning.
“I think the people of the United States are frustrated, and I share that frustration, but that doesn’t mean you turn around and put a rank amateur into the presidency of the United States in a dangerous time like this,” says Gilmore.
Before serving as Governor, Gilmore served a term as Virginia’s Attorney General. He also spent a year as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, during President George W. Bush’s first year in office. Gilmore is currently President and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation, a conservative think tank.
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