Love the Internet? Vote for Obama.

David Weinberger explains the fundamental difference between John McCain's technology policy and Barack Obama's. His conclusion:

The two candidates’ visions of the Internet could not be clearer. We can have a national LAN* designed first and foremost to benefit business, and delivered to passive consumers for whom the Net is a type of cable TV. Or, we can have an Internet that is of the people, by the people, for the people.

Editor's note: a LAN is a "local area network," typically used within and controlled by a single company or other organization.

14 Questions for McCain & Obama

The group at Sciencedebate 2008 put together a set of 14 community-generated questions for McCain and Obama regarding their views on science and technology policy. As an Obama supporter, I'm planning to e-mail the Obama campaign to encourage it to respond publicly to these questions. I hope more people will do the same with their candidate of choice, or with both for those who are undecided.

The Democratic Diamond of Unity

My friend Jon, author of Our Karl Rove, has a good post up about the fallout from the Democratic primary and what it means for supporters of both Obama and Clinton going into the general election.

The key take-away is to acknowledge that if you strongly support either candidate, you're experiencing planned animosity towards the opponent. The sooner Democrats step back and understand that this is planned and not personal (and "see the diamond"), the sooner the Democrats can coalesce around the presumptive Democratic nominee.

The "diamond" is a metaphor for the separation that occurs between candidates during the primary and the desired convergence on behalf of party unity that occurs as the general election nears.

Obama

So, I'm supporting Barack Obama in the Democratic primary. Why? Here are a few reasons:

1. He's an inspiring leader. After eight years of Bushitis, someone who can make people feel good about America and confident in its president is worth a lot. Even Caroline Kennedy says that she thinks Obama has the potential to inspire Americans in the way that her father, JFK, did.
2. Obama is the only candidate, as far as I know, who has a clear, sensible, detailed technology policy. Even many candidates who have used technology effectively in their campaigns have not recognized the significance of changing technology on issues regarding privacy, freedom, and intellectual property. Obama does, so I feel comfortable that he'll give these issues the attention they deserve if he's elected.
3. Several people whose political judgment I respect, including Sen. Ted Kennedy and my boss, Harvard Law School professor John Palfrey, are supporting Obama. So are many of my colleagues at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, which is a place populated by some of the smartest, most politically aware people I know.
4. Obama is a uniter, not a divider. He has a history of working with people across political parties, religions, races, and viewpoints to enact policies that make sense.

I think that Democrats and, really, the whole country, are fortunate to have such a strong field in the Democratic primary this year. Even if Sen. Clinton or a dark horse candidate wins, I'll feel very good if s/he is elected president. But, given a choice, I'll take Obama.