Obama + Perriello = Good Bye Virgil

Some House Republicans are bracing themselves for the "Obama effect." In a handful of traditionally Republican districts with higher than average black populations, the presence of Obama at the top of the ticket could be trouble for some GOP incumbents.  

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Another race where Democrats are counting on a similar dynamic is Virginia's 5th Congressional District. Locals call its African American population the "sleeping giant." About a quarter of the population is black, but officials say only fifty percent of that population usually votes. If Obama can push that percentage even five points higher, it could mean thousands of additional Democratic votes.

We'll see how this all plays out, but one thing is certain. With Obama at the top of the ticket and Tom Perriello leading the charge in the 5th, this is the best chance Virginia Democrats have had to get rid of Virgil since he switched parties.  

Give 'em hell Tom!

"It is the theory at this point that the African American vote is going to be the critical element of the party vote here in November," says Fred Hudson, chairman of the 5th district's Democratic committee. Hudson expects new voters, especially black voters, to come out in large numbers for Obama and to support the Democratic challenger, Tom Perriello.

Rep. Virgil Goode currently holds the seat. Goode is a former Democrat turned independent turned Republican. Now in his sixth term, Goode has been a member of the GOP since 2002. Regardless of party, the one constant has been Goode's ability to win reelection by fairly wide margins.

But with a well-funded and credible Democratic challenger in Perriello, who is considered the right kind of Democrat for the relatively conservative district, a sizable increase in African American turnout may help put the district in play.  

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