Virginia U.S. Senate race ranked #1 by Politico

Politico's David Cantanese, that sleuth of the campaign trail, has Virginia's U.S. Senate campaign still ranked as the nation's #1 race emphasizing that this will be one of the most watched races -- if not the most watched -- in the country in 2012.

The final match-up in this explosive race is expected to be between former Virginia Republican Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen and former Democratic Virginia Governor and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine. It will truly be the battle of the titans and, though GOP candidate Jamie Radtke would like to be the giant slayer in her quest to take down Allen, she is currently polling at 8% behind Allen's 68%. The other four GOP candidates had poorer numbers than Radtke showing that none are gaining traction.

Meanwhile, Allen continues to rack up endorsements from Republican elected officials and grassroots leaders throughout the Commonwealth.

Thoughts from Cantanese on Virginia's race:

1. VIRGINIA -- George Allen filled the August lull with endorsements from Majority Leader Eric Cantor and a string of other delegation and legislative members.  But the most revealing incident of the month was Jamie Radtke's feud with conservative blogger Erick Erickson, which my colleague Ben Smith reported on in detail.  The fact that Radtke's in such a public skirmish with someone who should be a natural ally highlights her inability to gain traction.  In tandem, the developments show that Allen has thus far navigated a potential primary challenge with relative ease -- something that was an open question at the year's outset.

Who Won August: Allen