AHC: POTUS Jim Gilmore

Your challenge, should you accept it, is to make Jim_Gilmore President of the United States. For those who don't know, Gilmore ran twice, in 2008 and 2016, but performed very poorly, so much that he got only a few dozen votes in Iowa and New Hampshire. this became a running joke in the Politiyank threads where, myself included, jokes about 'Gilmentum' and his '62 victories!' occured. But, how could Gilmore actually become President. No mass deaths, such as nuke killing most of the line of succession. He can become someone's VP, but otherwise he can't become President through a death. Bonus points though if you get Gilmore elected President in his own right. Go ahead!
 
Gore wins in 2000 over Bush, Gilmore runs in 2004 as a "9/11 Governor" along with Pataki. With 2004 only three years after his term expired, he'd be able to perform more strongly as a middle tier candidate (think OTL Scott Walker or Jon Huntsman in 2012). In 2005, he runs for a second term as Governor. Seeing as Virginia limits their Governors to one term, but doesn't prohibit comebacks four years later, he wouldn't be stepping on any major toes most likely. This puts him in a more relevant position come 2008, in which he runs and wins the GOP nomination. He'd still lose to Obama or Clinton, of course.

A less likely scenario is having Gilmore hold off on a second run for President in 2008, serve out his term through 2009, and run in 2012, a much more winnable election for him.
 
Jim Gilmore runs for Senate in 1994 against incumbent Senator Chuck Robb and wins. He makes more of a name for himself in the Senate than he did IOTL as Governor. Gilmore runs for President in 2000 and manages to come in a strong second after Bush. The added primary tensions cause Bush to lose in 2000, and then Gilmore runs in 2004 against incumbent President Gore, and wins.
 
Jim Gilmore runs for Senate in 1994 against incumbent Senator Chuck Robb and wins. He makes more of a name for himself in the Senate than he did IOTL as Governor. Gilmore runs for President in 2000 and manages to come in a strong second after Bush. The added primary tensions cause Bush to lose in 2000, and then Gilmore runs in 2004 against incumbent President Gore, and wins.
Yeah, Gilmore was a lousy governor (Mark Warner, the Democrat who succeeded him, got a lot of his popularity from "not being Gilmore", in the same way that "not being Bush" was enough for Obama to win a Nobel Prize). In the Senate, he becomes "Generic Republican Senator from Virginia"; that puts him in a much better spot.
 
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