McDonnell on Virginia's most noteworthy accomplishments ... in 2050

Gov. Bob McDonnell will be in Washington next Tuesday to be the keynote speaker at a daylong symposium called The Future of the South, sponsored by The Oxford American (a truly wonderful magazine, if you're not familiar with it).

The daylong symposium, to be held at the National Archives, features an array of authors who will talk about the South's land and environment, its culture and identity, and the future of the Gulf Coast in the wake of the BP oil spill.

They'll take a long-term view ... trying to predict the future 40 years out, in 2050.

To set the tone, and pique your interest, the magazine released interviews with a handful of Southern governors, including McDonnell, asking them questions about their states in 2050. Here's a snippet from McDonnell's interview:

THE OXFORD AMERICAN: What could be your state's most outstanding accomplishment by 2050?

GOV. BOB MCDONNELL: I don't want to limit the Commonwealth of Virginia to just one accomplishment. To do so would not be in keeping with our legacy as the home of Washington, Jefferson, Henry, Maggie Walker, Booker T. Washington, American Independence, Yorktown, Appomattox, Tom Wolfe and the world's best ham and peanuts! In 2050, I want Virginia to have the lowest unemployment rate in the country, an active and thriving commercial spaceport at Wallops Island on our Eastern Shore, globally recognized film and wine industries, the best public education system in the world with opportunities for all our young people, and a vibrant tourism industry. I want to see a Virginia that is the home of the United States military, the global leader in energy and technology, and the site of the largest and most efficient port in the country. In short, I want the Virginia of 2050 to still be notable for our past, but even more noteworthy for our present and future.

Here's the full text of the governor's 2050 interview. (Love that portrait?)

Here's more information on the symposium, which is free and open to the public.