President Barack Obama won in Virginia last year. Liberal political influence has been oozing out of Washington into neighboring Virginia. But having seen a year of the Obama administration, Virginia independents in large numbers joined Republicans Tuesday to give conservative former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell a nearly 2-to-1 victory over liberal Democrat Creigh Deeds in the contest for Virginia’s governor.

This was big, since Republicans had lost three U.S. House of Representatives seats last year and both Virginia U.S. senators are Democrats. And Gov.-elect McDonnell was joined in victory this week by Republican candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Gov.-elect McDonnell ran clearly as a conservative, with jobs and the economy being the most important issues.

Were the votes of Virginians this week a sign of a changing mood, not only in their state but also in many other parts of America? That, obviously, is what many are wondering, and many conservatives are hoping, as they look toward the remaining years of President Obama in office.