Poor Forgotten Jim Gilmore (Who?) Can't Even Be GOP Convention Delegate, Awwww

Nothin's gonna stop him now... oh, shoot.

You may remember former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore, who was, at least on paper, an actual Republican candidate for president longer than Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki (who?), Lindsay Graham, Bobby Jindal, Scott Walker, and Rick Perry. If you don't remember him, that's maybe because he polled so badly they didn't even let him into most of the Kids' Table debates. Take our word for it, he really was a candidate. 

But now that he is a former presidential candidate, he isn't having much luck cashing in on the "I ran for president" gravy train. The Virginia GOP won't even let him be a delegate to this summer's Republican National Convention. Yr Wonkette advises him not to say he can't get any respect, lest he be sued by the estate of Rodney Dangerfield.

Republicans at the Virginia state convention rejected Gilmore’s bid to be one of the state’s 13 at-large delegates. The rejection from his own party insiders comes a few months after Gilmore’s poor showing in this year’s presidential contest.

Gilmore had hoped his GOP pedigree as a former Virginia governor and chairman of the Republican National Committee would earn him a spot as a state delegate.

The former candidate has not said which of the remaining GOP candidates (Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, or a 15-ounce package of Steak-Umms) he would throw his support to in the event of a contested convention, so the state party has made it clear they don't have room for any undecided delegates. The state convention chose 10 delegates for Ted Cruz, and three for Trump.

Gilmore insists he doesn't take the rejection personally, saying, "It's a power play."

Gilmore's campaign somehow failed to catch fire after the candidate received only 12 votes in the Iowa Caucus and 133 votes in the New Hampshire primary. Nonetheless, Gilmore told the local paper he still has a national following, by which we suppose he means Rachel Maddow, who has called him her imaginary boyfriend. He also intends to attend the RNC on his own dime, raising the possibility of an exciting "spot Jim Gilmore" drinking game.

At least the state GOP chair has asked him to help with a get-out-the-vote effort come November. For his sake, we hope it won't involve having to dress up in a Betsy Ross costume and stand on a corner waving a sign.

[ USA Today / Fredericksburg.com via Wonkette Operative "Jacob J"]