Moving toward Gilmore
- Question submitted by Wendell
- What do you think is the federal government’s place in educating our children, and how would you deal with the growing discrepancy in education quality between urban and suburban students?
Answer from Jim Gilmore
- As a former Governor, I believe the primary duty of education rests with the states. I also believe that to empower people, they must have a good opportunity for education. It’s not just the courses now offered. We have to teach a culture of independence and entrepreneurship. As Governor, I was a supporter of public education, but I also supported other alternatives. I supported home schoolers. I was the author of Virginia’s first charter school law, and even supported private school choices. The President can emphasize education, and I will do so as part of a conservative program of empowerment.
Man do I love that answer - “the primary duty of education rests with the states… the president can emphasize education and I will do so as part of a conservative program of empowerment“.
How can Republicans not like this guy?
What really drew me in though was this exchange:
- Question submitted by Lisa
- Governor Gilmore, Please clarify your stance on abortion. Do you believe that abortion is wrong and why? Do you believe that an infant in the womb is a human person from conception? Why do you believe women should retain the right to abort their kids till 12 weeks?
Answer from Jim Gilmore
- Lisa, my convictions on abortion are deeply felt and have never changed. I have always said the same thing, and I shouldn’t change now just to win additional votes. I believe that after a period of about 8 weeks (not 12 weeks) there shouldn’t be any more abortions, except to save the life of the mother if she is in danger during childbirth. I am pro-life, and I believe I have the best record of any candidate in this race. During my time as Governor, we passed a 24-hour waiting period, informed consent, parental notification, and I signed the partial birth abortion ban. I intervened in a case similar to the Schiavo case, just to be sure that justice was being done to the injured person. Sadly, that became a political football with much misleading information and attacks on me in the press. I also authored Virginia’s anti-cloning bill because I was concerned that technology and medicine was outrunning ethics.
Folks that read this page often know that that I think the issue of abortion and choice is a deeply personal one, but those who know me well also know that I believe in something I call the “sliding scale of technology”. Which is to say that as technology improves, the time at which a fetus becomes viable outside of the womb becomes earlier and earlier in the pregnancy continuum and that should serve as the legal parameter on when an abortion is legal.
While I don’t think that Gilmore is necessarily completely in accord with my view, I do sense that he has similar convictions - I believe that after a period of about 8 weeks (not 12 weeks) there shouldn’t be any more abortions, except to save the life of the mother if she is in danger during childbirth. Given the current slate of candidates in the GOP field for president, I find his answer refreshing and one I can support.
I haven’t made up my mind yet, and I’ve said before that I think Gilmore faces an incredible uphill battle to win the nomination, but I’m moving his way.
