A few days before the convention, Gilmore sent out a mailing that questioned Marshall’s conservative credentials. The Gilmore campaign said it was responding to three negative mail pieces that Marshall had sent out.
“Why would Jim want my endorsement?” Marshall asked. “He says I am dishonest, so why would an honorable man like Jim Gilmore want an endorsement from someone he says is dishonest?”
But Marshall, who based his campaign on his staunch opposition to abortion and tax increases, added he will throw his support behind Gilmore if the former governor comes out in favor of banning all abortions. Gilmore supports abortion rights until the 8th week of pregnancy, a stance that prompted Marshall to challenge him for the nomination.
“I would campaign harder for him than I would myself, if he comes out for life,” said Marshall, adding he put 215,000 miles on his car during his Senate campaign this spring.
Gilmore appears unlikely to change his stance on abortion, but he still plans to reach out to Marshall and his supporters.
At some point in time, Gilmore will have to reach out to value voters… quietly, and with a good deal of integrity that heals wounds without the “well, who else you gonna vote for?” mentality.
Until then, Gilmore has been handed a gem with Chichester’s endorsement of Warner. Fiscal conservatives are galvanized.
The real question is whether Gilmore is being advised well enough to follow it up with an olive branch to social conservatives…