[Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd] Whitman and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore both expressed caution about November, despite predictions from political observers that Republicans could pick up a host of seats in Congress. Whitman and Gilmore spent Wednesday crossing the state and campaigning for Republican candidate for treasurer Colin Bonini.
As both former governors participate in rallies and events across the nation, they say, jobs and the economy remain the top issues people are talking about.
Christine Todd Whitman was a well-regarded Governor of New Jersey but ruined her reputation as Bush’s first EPA Director (she’s the one who said the air at Ground Zero was o.k. to breathe). I’m pretty sure most hard-core Republicans would consider her a RINO because she believes in climate change and allegedly left the Bush administration because of the suppression of EPA reports. She even wrote a book called “It’s My Party Too” taking Republicans to task for their social conservatism and rejection of moderates (sound familiar?). It’s pretty disappointing that she’s now attending Tea Party rallies.
Jim Gilmore has the dubious distinction of being a forgettable Governor of Virginia, and the first Republican to drop out of the presidential race. (How many of you remember he ran for president?) He decided to run for Senate from Virginia but couldn’t even gain the endorsement of the Republican retiring from the Senate seat. He ended up being defeated handily by Mark Warner.
I seriously doubt that the endorsement of Whitman or Gilmore will have any effect on the general election in November. This is all about fundraising and establishing Bonini as some kind of GOP golden boy. State Republicans are going all out for Bonini. He’s raised boatloads of money for the State Treasurer race (more than both Democratic candidates put together). Do they see Bonini as the new Delaware GOP savior? Am I missing something because I fail to see the appeal.