It's gone. In the current political dynamic, it might as well be Wisconsin.
Of course, the Republican Party could moderate in the coming years and that could help put the state back into play - and certainly Republicans will continue to do well in statewide contests for quite some time - but the growth and trends we see in Virginia are too strong for a Generic R presidential candidate to overcome at this point. Frankly, I believe the tipping point for Virginia in presidential elections was reached circa 2006 - had it not been, I don't think Obama would have carried the state in 2012.
Now, if we ever get an actual leftist running for President, that might be enough to scare those rich NOVA-types back to the Republicans...
