In a reporter’s notebook, senior NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Brown recounted his recent reporting trip through the battleground state of Virginia. His segments focused on the state’s northern and southern areas where both candidates have been campaigning heavily.

Brown noted Sen. Barack Obama camp’s growing presence in traditionally Republican areas of the state.

“It felt at times like my BlackBerry would go off every few minutes with an announcement from the Obama campaign … that they were opening yet another campaign headquarters. So they’re in places that are way beyond what are usually Democratic leaning.”

Brown reported from Hampton Roads shortly after Sen. John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate — “Hampton Roads has a very large religious conservative constituency down there. And it was quite clear that Sarah Palin had roused people in a way that they had not been roused before. Pat Robertson and others were very open with us about how they were not very enthusiastic with John McCain before that. The game had clearly changed.”