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Why do all the hackers embrace Obama? It seems like every tech web site I see has an Obama sticker on there. I would have thought that people who want to start

Why do all the hackers embrace Obama? It seems like every tech web site I see has an Obama sticker on there. I would have thought that people who want to start businesses would be Republican, because they have always been the ones who want to make it as painless as possible to start and own a profitable business.

fnazeeri 18y ago
It's simple really. People don't exclusively vote their economic interest. For example, Mississippi has the strongest correlation between income and voting and yet 30% of its voters in the poorest income level voted Republican (i.e. against their economic interest). Further, the richest states (CT, MA, CA, etc.) trend Democratic. Here's a good academic study on the topic in case you're interested... www.stat.columbia.edu/~gelman/research/published/rb_qjps.pdf
- uuilly 18y ago
  I'm not sure it's a forgone conclusion that poor people voting for non-democrats is a vote against their economic interests. Legions of economists would disagree with you on that. To be sure, legions more would agree, but you can hardly take it as a given.
- AndyKelley 18y ago
  Okay, but that doesn't answer my question. Why does it seem like most hackers have an Obama sticker on their site?
dhimes 18y ago
This breed of Republican (laissez-faire, I think it is spelled) is, in my estimation, not the best for small business. It apparently translates to "might makes right" in practice.
olefoo 18y ago
People who start businesses want to run them in places where there is political stability and the social contract is relatively intact... 4 more years of (failed|insane|irresponsible) policies will not only bankrupt the nation, but will alienate us from the rest of the world; this is not good for business.
DaniFong 18y ago
Firstly, not all hackers are founding or interested in founding businesses. Secondly, the difference between the democrats and republicans on the policy towards small business is really not all that different. There are small, honestly insignificant differences in taxes which might be effected. And capital gains isn't exactly on people's minds when they found a business. It's mostly float or sink. But, thirdly, the republicans routinely have the least progressive attitude towards software patent reform, public domain status, copyright reform, and tend to enforce monopolies in, for example, media. Four, Obama embraces technology, has a technology policy, and is altogether seen as progressing away from the old paper bureaucracies. Fifth, a huge number of hackers are from immigrant populations, whose livelyhood is increasingly threatened by the demand for visas and protectionist immigration and freetrade policies. Finally, for many hackers, questions of economic policy are almost completely irrelevant compared to the promise of a more pacifistic war policy, more widespread civil liberties, and a government that doesn't act as if American citizens, and American citizens alone, are god's chosen people. Many hackers are outsiders, who would bare the brunt of an assault on civil freedoms. Most hackers are familiar with moral reasoning. Most hackers could only get their start by disobeying the system somewhat, and are routinely familiar with doing illegal acts that nonetheless cause no harm. Thus hackers find themselves in opposition to authoritarian structures, and the republicans have, in the public consciousness, been most likely to exercise their might in this manner. (I've only just realized that HN's guidelines contain the admonishment 'no politics')
- anamax 18y ago
  > But, thirdly, the republicans routinely have the least progressive attitude towards software patent reform, public domain status, copyright reform, and tend to enforce monopolies in, for example, media. Huh? The record and movie company donations almost all go to Dems. Repubs don't care. > Fifth, a huge number of hackers are from immigrant populations, whose livelyhood is increasingly threatened by the demand for visas and protectionist immigration and freetrade policies. The amnesty and expanded immigration proposal, McCain-Kennedy, was pushed by Bush and McCain. The protectionist stuff is all from Dems. What little free trade stuff there is comes from Repubs.

fnazeeri 18y ago

It's simple really. People don't exclusively vote their economic interest. For example, Mississippi has the strongest correlation between income and voting and yet 30% of its voters in the poorest income level voted Republican (i.e. against their economic interest). Further, the richest states (CT, MA, CA, etc.) trend Democratic. Here's a good academic study on the topic in case you're interested... www.stat.columbia.edu/~gelman/research/published/rb_qjps.pdf

uuilly 18y ago
I'm not sure it's a forgone conclusion that poor people voting for non-democrats is a vote against their economic interests. Legions of economists would disagree with you on that. To be sure, legions more would agree, but you can hardly take it as a given.
AndyKelley 18y ago
Okay, but that doesn't answer my question. Why does it seem like most hackers have an Obama sticker on their site?

dhimes 18y ago

This breed of Republican (laissez-faire, I think it is spelled) is, in my estimation, not the best for small business. It apparently translates to "might makes right" in practice.

olefoo 18y ago

People who start businesses want to run them in places where there is political stability and the social contract is relatively intact... 4 more years of (failed|insane|irresponsible) policies will not only bankrupt the nation, but will alienate us from the rest of the world; this is not good for business.

DaniFong 18y ago

Firstly, not all hackers are founding or interested in founding businesses. Secondly, the difference between the democrats and republicans on the policy towards small business is really not all that different. There are small, honestly insignificant differences in taxes which might be effected. And capital gains isn't exactly on people's minds when they found a business. It's mostly float or sink. But, thirdly, the republicans routinely have the least progressive attitude towards software patent reform, public domain status, copyright reform, and tend to enforce monopolies in, for example, media. Four, Obama embraces technology, has a technology policy, and is altogether seen as progressing away from the old paper bureaucracies. Fifth, a huge number of hackers are from immigrant populations, whose livelyhood is increasingly threatened by the demand for visas and protectionist immigration and freetrade policies. Finally, for many hackers, questions of economic policy are almost completely irrelevant compared to the promise of a more pacifistic war policy, more widespread civil liberties, and a government that doesn't act as if American citizens, and American citizens alone, are god's chosen people. Many hackers are outsiders, who would bare the brunt of an assault on civil freedoms. Most hackers are familiar with moral reasoning. Most hackers could only get their start by disobeying the system somewhat, and are routinely familiar with doing illegal acts that nonetheless cause no harm. Thus hackers find themselves in opposition to authoritarian structures, and the republicans have, in the public consciousness, been most likely to exercise their might in this manner. (I've only just realized that HN's guidelines contain the admonishment 'no politics')

anamax 18y ago
> But, thirdly, the republicans routinely have the least progressive attitude towards software patent reform, public domain status, copyright reform, and tend to enforce monopolies in, for example, media. Huh? The record and movie company donations almost all go to Dems. Repubs don't care. > Fifth, a huge number of hackers are from immigrant populations, whose livelyhood is increasingly threatened by the demand for visas and protectionist immigration and freetrade policies. The amnesty and expanded immigration proposal, McCain-Kennedy, was pushed by Bush and McCain. The protectionist stuff is all from Dems. What little free trade stuff there is comes from Repubs.