September 2008

It probably was only a matter of time before Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (IL), whose campaign has displayed its tech savvy through tactics such as aggressive online fundraising, use of social networking and texting the news of his running mate selection, hit Republican rival John McCain (AZ) for his admitted technological difficulties. The Obama campaign wielded McCain's past comments -- that he doesn't send e-mail and is computer "illiterate" -- like a blunt instrument. A biting new TV ad uses those examples to brand the 72-year-old Arizona senator as out of touch with today's world. Hitting an opponent on economic issues is standard political strategy. But going after a candidate for his skill with computers and e-mail is a new, 21st century line of attack. "John McCain travels with a laptop," said McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds. "This is a senseless tactic from Obama's campaign because they're struggling with the realization that the American people understand he is not equipped to deliver change because his record has no bipartisanship or significant legislative accomplishment in it."

[Commentary] John McCain has seen the future - and it looks a lot like the last decade. Over the last several years a consensus has developed among experts in technology, science, and innovation that the United States has begun to lose its historic dominance in high-tech innovation and scientific discovery. Recognizing this critical challenge, last year Sen. Barack Obama launched a thoughtful, comprehensive plan to reshape the American economy to compete in the Digital Age. His plan draws from the lessons of recent decades to change how our schools and universities educate the next generation, to invest in science and research and to modernize our telecommunications networks. Just over two months before the election, Sen. John McCain has responded with his own technology agenda. It reveals a lack of vision and more of the same failed policies of the current administration. To respond to the global competitiveness challenge, McCain's agenda rests largely on a variety of tax breaks for corporations, many of which I would support. However, McCain fundamentally misunderstands how innovation and technology emerge and how the United States became a high-tech superpower over the last half-century.

(Ms Eshoo represents the 14th Congressional District and is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.)

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has helped open a pipeline of coverage for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, giving the GOP candidate almost 60 percent more media attention last week than Sen. Barack Obama, according to findings of a study released Thursday -- a dramatic reversal from earlier in the campaign. In fact, Palin received 10 percent more ink and airtime than Obama from Sept. 1 to Sept. 7, the study says. Since early July, the information database company LexisNexis has been tracking media coverage of McCain and Obama, evaluating thousands of print, broadcast and online stories each week. Last week marked the first time McCain has received more coverage than Obama. Before that, Obama had been averaging about one-third more stories a week than McCain. Much of last week's swing in media coverage, of course, was attributable to the GOP convention in Minnesota. But the "Palin bump" undoubtedly boosted the attention paid to the McCain campaign. Perhaps the most surprising finding from last week—at least to those who claim the media have been attacking Palin -- was that the coverage of Palin was deemed balanced.