Virginia Tomorrow will examine the people, the ideas, the trends and the debates that are shaping our future. I will strive to be fair, analytical and resolutely nonpartisan. I hope you find it engaging, informative and entertaining as well.
The media environment has changed more rapidly in the past two years than it normally does in two decades. This transformation has put traditional media institutions, even the very best, under tremendous pressure. But it has also generated a spirit of innovation and experimentation that has altered the way politics is conducted, covered and discussed. The changes have been breathtaking. Individual bloggers compete successfully with major media institutions. Videos taken by 18 year olds and posted on YouTube alter the course of campaigns. And the line between politics and entertainment has become increasingly blurred. I’m not suite sure that anyone knows where this will wind up. But I’m excited that Virginia Tomorrow will become part of the process.
Virginia Tomorrow will provide candidates for office the opportunity to have their points of view expressed unfiltered in real time and in the heat of the campaign. Members of the Virginia congressional delegation and the General Assembly will be able to offer their personal reflections on the choices they are making while the session is in progress. And I’ll invite concerned citizens, interest group leaders, and students in Virginia’s universities and schools to weigh in on the big challenges facing our state.
2009 will be an eventful year in the Commonwealth. The Governor and the General Assembly will be responding to uncertain and unsettling economic conditions. The November House of Delegates’ elections will determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the redistricting process in the House that will take place after next year’s census. Across the Commonwealth, local elections will take against a backdrop of severely strained county and city budgets. And the statewide races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General will garner even more attention than usual. With only two gubernatorial contests taking place across the country, Virginia will be seen as a barometer of the national mood.
I hope that Virginia Tomorrow will become an important resource in making sense of these events.