Ed Gilespie? I don't blame Ed. I blame Allen. He was a terrible, foot-in-mouth-before-brain-engaged kind of guy. Say what you will about the macacca deal and the Jewish deal, but he should have thought more than two seconds ahead to see how it would have played outside of his base. He didn't, he lost.
Gillespie was an advisor. Dick Wadhams (of John Thune fame) ran the campaign.
The RATS went after Allen because 1) the gains he helped Republicans make in the Senate, including getting rid of Daschle and 2) because they saw him as a contender for 2008 (whether or not he really was is NOT the issue, he was seen that way by many).
Allen ran a good and aggressive campaign. But we were not helped by 1) the national mood, 2) the Main Scream Media and 3) a couple of stumbles that ~should have been~ minor incidents (see #2).