Drake, who won with ease two years ago, is not alone. With approval ratings for Bush and congressional Republicans at a low ebb, GOP strategists see signs of weakness where they least expected it — including a conservative, military-dominated suburb such as Virginia Beach — and fear that their problems could grow worse unless the national mood brightens. ~The Washington Post

Virginia Beach and Norfolk are big Navy towns, so they would be among the least affected directly by casualties from Iraq and typically would have some of the strongest supporters for the President “in time of war” around. They would arguably be among the last to break with the President and his party at such a time. If the Republicans are beginning to sink in the Tidewater, where exactly are they holding their own?