Firstly, not all hackers are founding or interested in founding businesses. Secondly, the difference between the democrats and republicans on the policy toward

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')