From what I've heard, he wants to be a judge.
He doesn't have much of a shot at the nomination (crowded field, lack of statewide office/ impressive congressional career) but I guess it could be an audition for a prominent justice department post, or federal judgeship. He has gotten attention for youtube clips in which he questioned Democrats who screwed up. I'm not sure taking such a partisan role would be the way to get a post that requires Senate approval.
The only congressman ever elected President was James A. Garfield. It's highly unlikely that there will be a second anytime soon.
I doubt Gowdy will be the one to do it, but it's not unprecedented for someone unprecedented to get the nomination or the presidency.
Bill Clinton was the first small-state Governor to be elected President. Barack Obama was the first Senator to be elected before completing his first term. He was also the first statewide officeholder to become a presidential nominee before the completion of his first term since Tom Dewey in 1944.
Jeb Bush is considered a credible nominee for the Republican nomination, even though he'll have been out of office for a decade. The last time we had that big a gap between public service and a presidential nomination was William Jennings Bryan in 1908.
