Do national politics impact on state elections

I say yes, the WaPo says no. If national politics didn't make a difference in state-wide off-off term elections, then why did Karl Rove cancel an appearance at a fundraiser for Jerry Kilgore? Tim Kaine is now leading in the polls by 2 percent, that is with in the margin of error.
I wonder how Jerry Kilgore's fundraiser with Dick Cheney went on Monday night. You know the Vice President is having some legal problems over a small matter of leaking the name of a covert CIA officer to the press.
Repeat after me over and over:
Jerry Kilgore and Dick Cheney together. Jerry Kilgore will implement the same policies in Virginia that George W. Bush implemented on the United States. Jerry Kilgore is all hat and no cattle.