RICHMOND, Va. -- With three weeks left until election day, the McCain campaign is attempting to shore up its support in two of the most competitive -- and potentially game-changing -- areas of Virginia.

After a morning rally with both John McCain and Sarah Palin in Virginia Beach, Palin trekked inland to Richmond for a rally at the Richmond International Raceway -- home to two NASCAR races each year.

"It's a long way from being decided," said Palin, of both the election in general and Virginia specifically. Recent polling has shown the Old Dominion to be leaning in Obama's favor.

Some still find it hard to believe that Virginia could vote Democratic for the first time since 1964, including two men who introduced Palin to the stage. Former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) -- who is trailing fellow former Gov. Mark Warner (D) by an average of more than 20 points in the US Senate race in Virginia this year -- and former Atty. Gen. Jerry Kilgore -- who lost to Gov. Tim Kaine in 2005 -- expressed disbelief that Obama could win here.

"Don't listen to the polls," Gilmore said. "Who answers these polls?" Kilgore asked.

Palin noted the anger the Republican base is feeling right now, which has been visible from recent rallies. This campaign stop, however, seemed to lack any vitriol. Even the shouting in the back that Palin assumed were protesters turned out to be just supporters complaining about the sound system and their inability to hear.

If McCain does win Virginia, he'll need bigger margins than other recent Republicans have gotten in the two areas of the state the campaign visited today.

The Hampton Roads area, which stretches from Norfolk up to Virginia Beach, includes a massive amount of military voters whom McCain tends to connect with. It also has large populations of both black and young voters, whom the Obama campaign has targeted.

The capital city of Richmond votes heavily in Democrats' favor. It's large suburbs -- Henrico and Chesterfield counties -- vote Republican, though have done so by less than convincing margins in recent years.

When Republican George Allen lost his re-election bid to now-Sen. Jim Webb, he won Henrico by just half a point. Pres. Bush had won the county two years earlier by 8 points.

The situations in both areas makes for a very competitive environment. And with Barack Obama certain to rack up large margins in the counties of Northern Virginia, McCain is counting on much-needed support from these other two most-populous areas of the state to capture Virginia's must-win 13 electoral votes.

"Well, Virginia," Palin said. "On November 4 it's going to come down to what we believe in. John McCain and I believe in what Ronald Reagan believed in."

Virginia believed in that as well in 1980 and 1984. This year, however, it's not yet clear where the commonwealth stands.