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If you want an illustration of how far the political pendulum has swung since 2008, look no further than Virginia.

Buoyed by President Obama, Democrats picked up three House seats that were previously held by Republicans. Now all of those freshman Democrats - Gerald E. Connolly, Glenn Nye and Tom Perriello - are endangered, as might be veteran Rep. Rick Boucher.

In the 11th District, which includes parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties, Connolly is locked in a close race with Oakton businessman Keith Fimian (R). Connolly beat Fimian by 12 points in 2008, and Democrats are spending heavily to keep the suburban seat.

In the 5th District, stretching from Charlottesville down to North Carolina, Perriello got a visit from Obama on Friday in an effort to replicate the high Democratic turnout of two years ago. A darling of many liberals because he backed Obama's health-care and energy bills, Perriello is in serious trouble against Republican state Sen. Robert Hurt.

Nye faces a similarly uphill fight in the Virginia Beach-based 2nd District against auto dealer Scott Rigell (R). Nye has accumulated a relatively moderate voting record but has still been lumped in with Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi by the GOP.

In the southwest 9th District, Boucher appears to be on firmer footing against state House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R). But if 2010 does turn out to be a wave year for Republicans, Boucher could well lose after 28 years in office.
Click to view image: 'Living by Obama in '08; dying by Obama in '10'