VIRGINIA LATEST - AT 7:31 P.M. ET:  New polling in Virginia confirms the GOP optimism we reported earlier today.  (See our 9:02 a.m. post.)  Andrew Malcolm of the L.A. Times's Top of the Ticket blog, reports the trend:

The good news for Republicans is that heading into the last week of the closely-watched Virginia governor's campaign, their candidate, Bob McDonnell, leads his Democratic opponent by 11 points, according to a just-published poll.

Despite energetic campaign efforts by both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, plus extra spending by the Democratic National Committee, the Washington Post reports this afternoon that McDonnell has a majority of likely-voting Virginians, 55 to 44, over Democrat rival R. Creigh Deeds.

The last time McDonnell and Deeds faced each other on the ballot, in the 2005 attorney general's race, the Republican won by less than 350 votes.

COMMENTS:  The Dems hate the symbolism here.  The current governor, Tim Kaine, is the Democratic national chairman.  The state has been trending Democratic.  It borders Washington, D.C., the seat of Obamaland, and it's key to Democratic hopes of winning back the once-Democratic South.

But you can just imagine how Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi play in traditional parts of Virginia.  Obama won the state last year.  If the GOP wins next Tuesday, and can carry the momentum through next year's midterms, 2012 in Virginia will look very iffy for The One.

October 26, 2009