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Next week’s governor races may tell us more about where the shutdown fight is headed than the shutdown itself will show about those elections.

While the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia will look largely untouched by the lapse in government funding, their results could serve as a barometer for public perception over who’s at fault for the standoff dragging out in Washington, D.C.

But only if the results stand out.

Bill Wichterman, former special assistant to President George W. Bush, said the two parties seem entrenched in their positions with no signs of blinking anytime soon. Having seen past shutdown conflicts up close as a policy advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and a chief of staff for other offices, h

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