One of the big election contests this year is the Virginia election. GOP establishment operative Ed Gillespie takes on Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam. Can Gillespie win?

The Trump movement tells us they’re anti-leftist, and that we all need to focus our attacks on the Democrats. However they’ve decided that they’d rather not help former RNC and RPV chairman Ed Gillespie defeat Northam.

Two new polls are out in the last two days: One by VCU and one by Quinnipiac. They show leads of 5 and 6 for Northam, respectively.

Gillespie has now failed to crack 40% in 7 of the last 8 polls. He has failed to find a lead in a single poll since he won the primary. This is not a great start for a man who has never won elective office in his life, and failed to win in the great Republican wave year of 2014.

Gillespie is a career establishment operative who may have gotten too big for his britches starting out running for Senate and Governor. He could turn it around, but so far it seems he simply lacks the charisma to win such high office, and if the RPV pins their hopes to him, continued failure seems likely.