So what about Gore versus Bush?

My primary interest is the continued prosperity of the US economy, which

drives much of the world economy. And a healthy economy is the foundation for a

continued high-tech revolution. No, not evolution. Moore’s Law is moving too

fast to be evolutionary.

As lukewarm as he may appear in public, there is no evidence that Gore has

any plans but to continue on the path that has brought an unprecedented period

of economic growth. With careful oversight, there is no reason this economic

expansion cannot continue for another 10 years. There are, after all some 6

billion consumers on the planet these days, and only a fraction has reached the

level of personal computer or cell phone ownership. There is lots of room for

growth.

Yes, the liberal Gore will spend lavishly on all sorts of social programs.

But at this point, America can certainly afford some luxuries like free

prescription drugs for the elderly. Bush, on the other hand, appears determined

to push a range of largely irrelevant moral issues to the political forefront,

such as prayer in the school and abortion. And he appears eager to implement

huge tax refunds that would prevent the US from repaying its huge national debt.

Like his father, who sheepishly abandoned the HDTV development movement, Bush

has no interest in high-tech and other things he doesn’t seem to understand

well.

Perhaps my assessment of Bush would be different if he had achieved some

credibility as a business manager. But the oil companies Bush managed were well

documented spectacular failures, which had to be bailed out by the same powerful

special interests groups that are now behind the funding of Bush’s

Presidential campaign. Luckily, Bush has been on a self-destructing rampage in

recent weeks that has caused him to lose a 15 per cent edge in the polls. Bush

was 3 points behind Gore even before the latest scandal involving an anti-Gore

TV commercial containing illegal and offensive subliminal messages.

Gore, from all indications, appears deeply involved and interested in the

political and economic issues of the day, whereas Bush appears a worse

re-incarnation of former Vice President Dan Quale. And, Gore has strong

high-tech industrial credentials. While not having invented the Internet, Gore

was the first Washington politician in 1993 to push for large scale adoption of

the Internet and was an avid early user of e-mail and other online services. At

least from a high-tech industry perspective, Gore would certainly seem the

logical choice between the two candidates.