Technology Issues in the Presidential Election

I assume that most people here have at least a passing interest in technology and a modest skill level (or higher), but it is rarely discussed by the candidates. Since we are constantly told that our economy is being transformed from a manufacturing based economy to an information and technology based economy, I kind of think this is a HUGE issue if we are going to stake our economic future on it.

Of our current candidates, Obama and Palin appear to be most competent users of technology. McCain famously avoids the internet and email (although he is "aware" of it). Biden, although he is somewhere in the middle in terms of use, well, I'll get to him!

I will use Cnet, one of the big tech websites, as my starting point. They published a 2006 TechVoter's Guide (2008 not done yet). Obama scored 50% tech friendly. Biden was even worse at 37.5%. McCain can limbo lower and eked out a 31.25% tech friendly score. Palin gets off easy with an incomplete since she did not vote in Congress or the Senate. I expect that some of the stances that Cnet considers tech friendly might be considered good stances by some here, so here is the list of votes for the House and Senate they used.

Durign the presidential primaries,the asked all the major candidates a series of questions and summed it up in a nice little chart. Biden did not respond to the survey at all which is disappointing. The only question McCain and Obama found agreement on is the next tax ban (although McCain ducked two of the questions and Obama ended up voting for telecom immunity even though he opposed it in this questionaire). But this survey shows Obama to be the more tech friendly (omitting Palin of course since, well, no data). You can read the detailed answers from Obama and McCain to these questions as well.

So I am going to call this issue for Obama in spite of his choice of Biden as a running mate.

If it's the economy stupid, we had better talk about science and technology if we are to have a science and technology based economy. Oh yeah, I will write another blog entry coming up on science policy (look for it in a few days).