By Declan McCullagh, 19 May 2004 08:10
NEWS A star-studded list of technology executives today plan to endorse President Bush for another term, saying they believe that the Republican candidate's positions are a better choice for the high-technology industry.
The endorsement at a Seattle event by the group of executives, including Dell chairman Michael Dell, Teledesic chairman Craig McCaw and former Microsoft executive VP Bob Herbold, represents the latest round of jockeying between Republicans and Democrats over which presidential candidate can claim the most tech-friendly stance.
The event coincides with the release of a short web video clip titled 'Innovators' that features tech leaders touting Bush. The video clip also includes eBay CEO Meg Whitman, Barksdale Management CEO Jim Barksdale and Autodesk chairman Carol Bartz.
"After several tough years, tech is bouncing back," Bartz says in the video. "This is due in no small measure to this administration's pro-growth policies." Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers adds that Bush "understands the key high-tech issues", such as how best to deploy broadband connections.
In general, Silicon Valley executives appear to prefer Democrats on social issues and Republicans on business ones. Internet and computer companies that operate their own political action committees (PACs) have given an average of 60 per cent of their money to Republicans over the last four elections - and only 40 per cent to Democrats. The Republican-leaning PACs include ones run by eBay, EDS, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Intuit, Texas Instruments, VeriSign and Yahoo. Telecommunications and electronics PACs tend to be even more aggressively Republican.
Like Bush, Democratic candidate John Kerry has made outreach attempts in Silicon Valley, which have included landing Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs as an informal adviser.
But Kerry's views run the risk of alienating some technology executives. He has told the AFL-CIO that he is critical of "excessive" executive compensation and added that "I also support expensing stock options." Bush, on the other hand, has in the past said he supports the current mechanism of not expensing them.
Kerry has also inveighed against "Benedict Arnold CEOs" who move jobs to foreign countries- - a stance that has riled some Silicon Valley executives who operate overseas research labs.
The Bush campaign has been more guarded about its views on offshoring, although a top presidential adviser made headlines in February after suggesting that offshoring is just the latest example of free trade, which is good for the US.
Declan McCullagh writes for CNET News.com.
Comments
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1. anonymous
I have several clients in Silicon Valley, and before moving to Seattle, I worked there for over 15 years. This article hurt. The CEO's who vote on the basis of compensation support and outsourcing support they see from Bush miss the point completely. Gas prices, economic conditions and consumer debt have made Silicon Valley a ghost of its former self, and these American tech executives are going to have to remember where that compensation and product mix to outsource truly comes from, productive and innovative (and employed) engineers, designers, and technologists, working together in that synergistic hot-house near the San Francisco Bay. Trying to restore balance in our home business sectors is the only way to really recover, and anyone who thinks a recovery in the tech sector is based on Bush politics needs a serious reality check, and perhaps some medical attention as well.
2. anonymous
Bush? Gotta be sick
3. anonymous
So Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers adds that Bush "understands the key high-tech issues", such as how best to deploy broadband connections.
I suspect that Bush barely understands how to tie his shoelaces, let alone key high-tech issues. How anyone can make statements like the Cisco CEO about the least intellectual American president in decades is beyond me.
It is clear that Bush is either on permanent vacaction or on permanent electioneering. He has neither the intellect, nor the attention span to deal with any issues beyond eating, defecating and sleeping.
4. anonymous
The whole point here is that the executives back Bush. Most Execs would back him, their salaries are escalating while the middle class is disappearing. The tech industy, more to the point the Technical worker, does not support Bush.....
5. Anonymous
"The whole point here is that the executives back Bush. Most Execs would back him, their salaries are escalating while the middle class is disappearing. The tech industy, more to the point the Technical worker, does not support Bush....."
Speak for yourself. As a technical worker, I support Bush.
6. anonymous
Smart folks back him, because Bush is right on the issues