Vote for a Technology Savvy President

Techcrunch wanted to call attention to the fact that technology is now a big part of our life, and we can scarcely afford to have ignorant rulers preside over issues they are far from understanding.

If you want just one sample of an ignorant (and believe me, I'm being very kind here) person of authority, look no further than Ted Stevens (Republican-Alaska). Stevens was sent to talk for a bill against Net Neutrality, unfortunately without being explained what the bill was about (charging more money for certain content going through ISPs), or what was the internet. Some of the "pearls" you can find in this instant classic are: "The internet is not a big truck - it's a series of tubes!" and "people can now sign up for a service that will deliver video movies to their real mailbox!". The 3 minutes of bumbling can be listened to here - and is highly recommended for anyone who has to talk in public about something he understands nothing about.

Back to the original program: Techcrunch asked all candidates 10 technology-related questions (Net Neutrality, Internet taxes, identity theft, H1B visas etc.) and allows you to look at all the answers, compare candidates and vote for your favorite in a site they call Tech President Primaries. The poll is open open till Jan. 18, when Techcrunch will announce one Republican and one Democrat "tech candidate" for the 2008 presidency.

What I found most surprising was that most candidates support more H1B visas. While, in a clear "follow the money" example, Democrats support Net Neutrality and most Republicans oppose it.