Lucky Gilmore Fundraiser to Get Nintendo Wii

IN CASE IT'S SLIPPED your mind, former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore is running for the Republican presidential nomination, along with a smorgasbord of candidates that includes everyone from Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado to Arizona Sen. John McCain to former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson of NBC's "Law & Order" (maybe).

With everyone and their mother in the race, Gilmore's candidacy hasn't exactly resonated with Republican party faithful. But since he's the self-declared true champion of "the Republican wing of the Republican Party," he's out to change that in any way he can. (According to first quarter fundraising totals, Gilmore has only raised about $175,000, which won't go very far toward buying most condos in Northern Virginia, much less funding a national campaign.)

As the Shad Plank, the Virginia politics blog run by Newport News' Daily Press, reports, Gilmore is trying to drum up new support by getting people to create Gilmore-focused Web sites that can raise cash for his presidential bid. The prize? The top fundraiser for June gets a Nintendo Wii!

The details, according to the Shad Plank:

Users must be at least 18 years old. They can set fund-raising goals and direct visitors to their page by linking to it in their blog, MySpace or Facebook profile. Just Google "MyGilmore" and you should figure it out.

Hmmm, if he's trying to curry favor with younger voters, he might consider handing out gift certificates to the Hollister store at Tysons Corner Center ...

So what do you know about Virginia's former governor and White House '08 candidate?

» He's the son of a Safeway meatcutter.
» He's "a popular no-nonsense [former] Virginia Attorney General," according to his campaign site.
» He's the former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
» He's fluent in German.
» He has a MySpace profile and a Flickr photostream.
» He holds an undergraduate and law degree from the University of Virginia.

Yeah, but is he good at "Guitar Hero" ...?

» "Candidate Profile: James Gilmore III" [WaPo]
» "Jim Gilmore Says 'Game On'" [Shad Plank/Daily Press]
» "About Jim Gilmore" [Gilmore for President]

Photo of former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore participating in an online chat from his Flickr photostream

Posted By Michael Grass at 9:51 AM on June 5, 2007 Tagged in Free Ride , Top Stories , Virginia

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