Those passing by Virginia Democratic Party headquarters are likely to hear cheering over the news that Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is dropping out of the 2013 race for Governor.

This will leave the GOP nomination to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Cuccinelli is a hard line evangelical conservative and that is not going to play well with the swing voters in Northern Virginia.

Since 1977 the party out of the White House has won the race for Virginia governor. That trend may well end with the election of Governor Terry McAuliffe.

About the only hope the GOP has is if they can either portray McAuliffe as a political hack or if President Obama’s approval ratings fall.