Frank and I attended a meeting of a new group of called Entrepreneurs for Obama, which featured a live videoconference with Barack Obama himself, plus a visit from Joe Rospars, Obama's New Media Director. This was billed as "an Interactive Technology Forum" for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and members of the venture capital community. I'm not exactly sure how we got on this list, but it was free, we had a babysitter, and we figured it was a good way to learn more about the candidate.
Since my addiction to Twitter has grown over the past month or so, I have become increasingly interested in what all the fuss is about this "new media" business. I haven't decided which candidate to back, although Obama has a certain appeal to me as a mixed-race person, and as his former classmate at Columbia (we graduated the same year). I was an early Edwards supporter, and still am, but I'm not going to decide who to fully support until I hear what they all have to say.
Overall, I'd say the teleconference part of the evening was a-bomb-a. The feed kept breaking up, and we only saw jerky still pictures of Obama. It was like watching one of those awful hostage videos on Al Jazeera, only worse. Members of the audience were able to get up and ask him direct questions, but it seemed as though every time he started to say anything of substance, it was interrupted by loud, annoying static. He said at one point, "I swear I'm not doing this on purpose."
The first person who asked a question wanted know why it took him so long to sign on to the Sanders/Boxer Global Warming Bill. His reply was that they needed buy-in of automakers, otherwise the bill would result in political gridlock. A nice soundbite (and a pretty good pun) perhaps, but didn't really address the merits of the bill, or whether he jumped on only after it became apparent in the polls that people were behind it.
I don't doubt that Obama is for measures that would reduce carbon emissions, but I would have liked to hear more about why he now feels this bill is the right piece of legislation to back at this time. Automakers will go where the profits lead them, and right now it's in SUVs and minivans. Unfortunately, most of his answer was cut off, so I'm not sure if he had more to say on this topic or not.
The fellow sitting in front of us asked about Obama's plans for rejuvenating the urban areas of the country that have been decimated by joblessness. He noted that he worked for the Kerry campaign in Ohio, where people stood in line for 2 hours to vote, and when he asked them why, they said, "So the President remembers that we are here." He asked Obama how "technology could address 'the hollowing out of American cities.'" The framework for his question was so heart-felt that, at this point, I was ready to vote for the guy asking the question.
Obama answered that he would like to explore with all the entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley exactly what was needed to provide access to technology for all. "How can we upgrade not just the technology, but the skill-sets of people living in cities?" he asked. "How do we create opportunities?"
Obama went on to say that there needs to be a commitment to the technology infrastructure that leads to commitment to schools, better access to technology, and training for teachers on how to use the technology effectively. There has to be investment in both human capital as well as infrastructure, or technology won't benefit anyone. He wanted the people in the room to help set the technology agenda for the next term.
At this point, I felt that he was starting to pick up steam and I was starting to hear something a little more than a soundbite. Despite the static and the weirdness of the video, he was starting to sound like someone who really didn't have all the answers, but wanted to engage in a dialogue with people to help find the solutions. It's easy for a candidate to say, "I'm pro-technology" without having any idea about what that means.
At this point, Obama had to sign off, and the floor was handed over to his New Media Director, Joe Rospars a veteran of the Dean campaign who gave some insight into how Web 2.0 applications are being used in the campaign, as well as some historical data. I'm going to write more about this part of the evening tomorrow.
I give the Senator an "A" for effort, but over all, it was not the definitive answer I was hoping to find. I didn't get a strong sense of any specific plans that he had to address the issues that were raised by the audience.
On the plus side, I did get a better sense of who he is, and that there are a number of bright, enthusiastic people in his corner. Despite the technology challenges, I came away with a better sense of how he views technology and its role in the political and social landscape. I did get the sense that his campaign is about reaching out to people with a positive, hopeful message. His legendary charisma didn't quite transcend the technological challenges of a choppy video feed, but his voice came through loud and clear.
Barack Obama will be making appearances in the Bay Area on June 2 and June 12. If you want to see him in-person and have a $1000 to spare, you can sign up for one of the private receptions and luncheons hosted by Entrepreneurs for Obama.
