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This Open Source Coder Wants to be a Congressman

108 points by digital55 13y ago

robgering 13y ago
Here's the link to his GitHub page: https://github.com/dhcole https://github.com/dhcole
- emackn 13y ago
  yeah, you should dig into that.
smacktoward 13y ago
> The patent system. Online privacy law. Bitcoin regulations. Net neutrality rules. I applaud anyone who's willing to roll up their sleeves and get involved with the democratic process. It's the only way we're ever going to get this country moving again. That being said, however, it's generally not a great idea to build a campaign around issues that 99% of the electorate has never heard of and/or cares nothing about. NJ-2 is pushing 9% unemployment -- all those jobless people are going to be worried about things other than Bitcoin or patent reform. Not to mention their friends and families, and all the people who aren't unemployed but are teetering on the brink. Cole's campaign site (http://coleforcongress.com/ http://coleforcongress.com/) is long on bio and short on issue positions, so it's possible that Wired is misrepresenting his platform, of course. (I hope they are! I'm a Democrat, I would love to see the Dems pick this district up.) But it's also possible that they are not; not articulating issue positions cuts both ways. This is a classic mistake that techies keep making when throwing their hat into the ring -- assuming that the issues that techies are buzzing about are the same ones that everyone is buzzing about. (For an example, look back to the 2002 campaign of Tara Sue Grubb in North Carolina: http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2002/08/54693 http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2002/08/54693, http://books.google.com/books?id=5DMSVPEv86gC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=tara+sue+grubb&source=bl&ots=zzrOzsbJZS&sig=y5r48oHGgioV0DOFKoAXC2az6Zo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gDgjU_eNLKLF0QH7ioGIBg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=tara%20sue%20grubb&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=5DMSVPEv86gC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA...) Maybe that's true in a few tech-heavy districts, but in the vast majority it's very, very far from the mark. And being out of touch with what your would-be constituents are buzzing about is not how you win elections.
- carleverett 13y ago
  He's not running on those issues though, his main running points were job creation, student debt, climate change, and education. From the article: "Cole is quick to downplay his alligence to the tech industry, which is increasingly under fire for being out of touch with the rest of the country. “Software developers aren’t the only ones under represented in congress,” he says. “Teachers, people in business other than CEOs, service workers, lots of people don’t have a voice in government because it’s really expensive to run a campaign."
  - humanrebar 13y ago
    I wouldn't call teachers or non-CEO businesspersons underrepresented. The NEA and the US Chamber of Commerce are consistently among the top political donors. Depending on your definition of service workers, several unions are also among the top donors. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/ http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/
    - davecolenj 13y ago
      I simply mean that they aren't running and winning at the rate lawyers and those with long political careers are. I'd rather have them elected than only represented through lobbying groups!
      - humanrebar 13y ago
        I can understand that, but they're still in a different league than technologists, who don't benefit from lobbying unless it aligns with certain business interests.
    - dragonwriter 13y ago
      > I wouldn't call teachers or non-CEO businesspersons underrepresented. The NEA and the US Chamber of Commerce are consistently among the top political donors. The US Chamber of Commerce doesn't represent non-CEO businesspersons, it represents businesses-qua-businesses (and, increasingly, businesses of a very particular political preference set, which is why the CoC has been harshly criticized for many of its political stands by a number of large businesses that don't share its particular political orientation.)
spikels 13y ago
If this guy is really something different, why does he sound like every other politician? “I’m running to tackle the issues that most affect families in South Jersey, like too few jobs, too high student debt, the need to act on climate change and the opportunity to make vital investments in education and infrastructure,” he says. “On those and many other issues, the leadership of the House of Representatives have obstructed any attempts at moving our country forward.” And why does he repeatedly belittle coding? “I’d been involved with computers since I was a little kid,” he says, “but what I learned in college is that there were a lot opportunities to apply problem solving at a larger level." “Software developers aren’t the only ones under represented in congress." You would think in an interview with Wired you could be a little less the generic politician. It would be interesting to hear his thoughts on healthcare.gov or, as he wants to represent Atlantic City, online gambling. Hopefully that would elicit responses other than cliches.
- smacktoward 13y ago
  > why does he repeatedly belittle coding? Because most people aren't coders, and tech is going through a wave of bad PR right now. You wouldn't go around touting a career as an exec at BP right after the big oil spill, either.
  - spikels 13y ago
    I guess you think the anti-tech sentiment is worse than I do. But this makes him seems even more the generic politician: take a poll then decide who you are and what you believe. How can he expect to win by blending in with his competitors? I would hope he brings something to the table that his advisors won't make him run away from. This is sad.
    - davecolenj 13y ago
      I do not belittle it at all! In fact I think we should have programs in schools so more kids have the opportunity to get into the field. It's a wonderful profession that sadly too few people have access to. See the last Q here: http://www.itworld.com/networking/409027/meet-coder-whos-running-for-congress http://www.itworld.com/networking/409027/meet-coder-whos-run...
tipiwi 13y ago
I love the fact that this guy is bold enough to believe he can run for Congress. Americans have such a powerful open minded attitude... He will probably fail but will give more visibility to the issues that matter most to him. He will also learn a few things about politics and press along the way and who knows what he can do next with this knowledge. I say go for it!
unethical_ban 13y ago
But he believes that the U.S. House — rather than state or local government — is the perfect place to start. “I’m running to tackle the issues that most affect families in South Jersey, like too few jobs, too high student debt, the need to act on climate change and the opportunity to make vital investments in education and infrastructure,” he says. “On those and many other issues, the leadership of the House of Representatives have obstructed any attempts at moving our country forward.” --- Thinking like this is why we have a gigantic, anti-Constitutional federal government. Why can't he work on infrastructure in NJ at the state or local level? Why can't he work on jobs programs and economic incentives for businesses in NJ? Climate change is the only thing listed that needs action above a state level.
- astrange 13y ago
  Most of the effects of student loan debt are caused at the federal level. They're the ones providing loan money and making it impossible to discharge debt while not setting any price controls. My loan has a … 7% interest rate?
- humanrebar 13y ago
  Student loans are effectively nationalized right now, so it has become a national issue, but your point is well taken.
- davecolenj 13y ago
  I respect the balance of federal vs state policy and don't seek to tip it. As others have pointed out, these are issues that the federal government regulates. I'd be happy to see states take on more of the burden on job creation, but national infrastructure projects are often some of the most cost-effective ways to create jobs and open up new economic opportunities. These are public goods that are not able to be privatized. Would love to hear your specific suggestions on ways this can be more balanced.
  - ericd 13y ago
    A politician that replies to comments on HN! Thanks, in for $25, and good luck.
itsdrewmiller 13y ago
Geez hacker news, talk about a can't win! The top comment is complaining that he needs to have a broad appeal instead of focus on tech issues and the second highest is complaining he sounds too generic and should talk more about niche online issues. I know Dave personally and will say that if the healthcare.gov debacle bothered you, there is probably not another person in the world with as clear a view into that dysfunction and with the passion to end it.
- spikels 13y ago
  Sorry but he is clearly playing down his involvement with tech in the article - oddly to Wired - for exactly the top comment's reasons. I hope it is not a barrier to being a politician. His website is upfront about being an "engineer" and even "entrepreneur" but still mostly generic. I would love to hear about his experience with the healthcare.gov mess and his thoughts on how to avoid these problems in the future. There are dozens of similar extremely important federal governmant IT project experiencing similar problems.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
polskibus 13y ago
I read the headline and thought that it's about Stallman becoming a Congressman. I'm slightly disappointed.
davecolenj 13y ago
I'd love to jump into this discussion. If you've got specific questions about what I stand for, fire away. Generally, though, my campaign focuses on the issues of job creation and education, because those are the most pressing issues I see here where I grew up in South Jersey. Every family has a story about someone who lost a job, spent too long unemployed, maybe lost healthcare in the process, and had to settle for a less stable job without benefits, less pay, or an hourly schedule. And everyone knows someone saddled with $30k in student loan debt settling for a minimum wage job after a degree, because the entry level jobs are gone or filled by those with more experience. My district as a whole has not weathered the recession as well as many employed in our profession have. That's my top focus. I'm happy to engage a debate on how we do that or hear your thoughts. I am not diminishing the work developers do in any way. I think the article's mention of "downplaying" just serves to put that in context of the issues I'm focusing on. Being a developer, having had the chance to work with an incredible team and contribute to growing a new company, give me important experience and a novel perspective compared to those who usually run for office at this level. I've tried to capture that here: https://medium.com/p/ce7c0dc63aaa https://medium.com/p/ce7c0dc63aaa As for something unique, I have actually worked on government IT systems, as well as private sector ones. Go watch a Congressional hearing on a tech issue. Tell me you think more of us shouldn't be sitting in that room setting the record straight. Congress should represent all people, and include all professions like engineers and developers, not to mention people under 40. Also, we're just a few weeks into the campaign, but next week I'll be posting a more detailed policy platform on http://coleforcongress.com http://coleforcongress.com, so I hope you'll sign up and stay engaged. To the cynics, as I said in the comments of the article: > Yes, the influence of money in elections is corrupting, but I refuse to give up on the idea of representative democracy. I'm willing to fight for it, even if the deck seems stacked. I see no shame in giving it my all. > And it's a simple formula for how we win: less money from more people vs more money from less people. If people like you and me who recognize the system is broken put our necks on the line, work together, and contribute what we can, we will win. There are more of us who want to fix the system than those who benefit from it. > So why not join me? http://coleforcongress.com http://coleforcongress.com
- dllthomas 13y ago
  So, I'm sure you're aware there's not a magic "jobs" lever when you get to Capitol Hill that's just set in the wrong position. What kinds of proposals do you support that you hope might help solve the problem (or lessen the pain of it)?
wellsjohnston 13y ago
lol he made the whitehouse website...not exactly an "open source coder"
- emackn 13y ago
  but WH.gov is Drupal ;)
julienchastang 13y ago
We already have one coder/entrepreneur in congress, Jared Polis, member of the US House from Colorado's 2nd congressional district. We could, of course, use more elected representatives like Mr. Polis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Polis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Polis
- pilom 13y ago
  Seriously! How is Boulder Colorado the only district that has been able to elect a coder? I'm looking at you California.
warfangle 13y ago
If/when he gets in office he should put the bills he sponsors, cosponsors etc up on github as diffs to the main corpus of US law.

108 points by digital55 13y ago

robgering 13y ago

Here's the link to his GitHub page: https://github.com/dhcole https://github.com/dhcole

emackn 13y ago
yeah, you should dig into that.

smacktoward 13y ago

> The patent system. Online privacy law. Bitcoin regulations. Net neutrality rules. I applaud anyone who's willing to roll up their sleeves and get involved with the democratic process. It's the only way we're ever going to get this country moving again. That being said, however, it's generally not a great idea to build a campaign around issues that 99% of the electorate has never heard of and/or cares nothing about. NJ-2 is pushing 9% unemployment -- all those jobless people are going to be worried about things other than Bitcoin or patent reform. Not to mention their friends and families, and all the people who aren't unemployed but are teetering on the brink. Cole's campaign site (http://coleforcongress.com/ http://coleforcongress.com/) is long on bio and short on issue positions, so it's possible that Wired is misrepresenting his platform, of course. (I hope they are! I'm a Democrat, I would love to see the Dems pick this district up.) But it's also possible that they are not; not articulating issue positions cuts both ways. This is a classic mistake that techies keep making when throwing their hat into the ring -- assuming that the issues that techies are buzzing about are the same ones that everyone is buzzing about. (For an example, look back to the 2002 campaign of Tara Sue Grubb in North Carolina: http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2002/08/54693 http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2002/08/54693, http://books.google.com/books?id=5DMSVPEv86gC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=tara+sue+grubb&source=bl&ots=zzrOzsbJZS&sig=y5r48oHGgioV0DOFKoAXC2az6Zo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gDgjU_eNLKLF0QH7ioGIBg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=tara%20sue%20grubb&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=5DMSVPEv86gC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA...) Maybe that's true in a few tech-heavy districts, but in the vast majority it's very, very far from the mark. And being out of touch with what your would-be constituents are buzzing about is not how you win elections.

carleverett 13y ago
He's not running on those issues though, his main running points were job creation, student debt, climate change, and education. From the article: "Cole is quick to downplay his alligence to the tech industry, which is increasingly under fire for being out of touch with the rest of the country. “Software developers aren’t the only ones under represented in congress,” he says. “Teachers, people in business other than CEOs, service workers, lots of people don’t have a voice in government because it’s really expensive to run a campaign."
- humanrebar 13y ago
  I wouldn't call teachers or non-CEO businesspersons underrepresented. The NEA and the US Chamber of Commerce are consistently among the top political donors. Depending on your definition of service workers, several unions are also among the top donors. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/ http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/
  - davecolenj 13y ago
    I simply mean that they aren't running and winning at the rate lawyers and those with long political careers are. I'd rather have them elected than only represented through lobbying groups!
    - humanrebar 13y ago
      I can understand that, but they're still in a different league than technologists, who don't benefit from lobbying unless it aligns with certain business interests.
  - dragonwriter 13y ago
    > I wouldn't call teachers or non-CEO businesspersons underrepresented. The NEA and the US Chamber of Commerce are consistently among the top political donors. The US Chamber of Commerce doesn't represent non-CEO businesspersons, it represents businesses-qua-businesses (and, increasingly, businesses of a very particular political preference set, which is why the CoC has been harshly criticized for many of its political stands by a number of large businesses that don't share its particular political orientation.)

spikels 13y ago

If this guy is really something different, why does he sound like every other politician? “I’m running to tackle the issues that most affect families in South Jersey, like too few jobs, too high student debt, the need to act on climate change and the opportunity to make vital investments in education and infrastructure,” he says. “On those and many other issues, the leadership of the House of Representatives have obstructed any attempts at moving our country forward.” And why does he repeatedly belittle coding? “I’d been involved with computers since I was a little kid,” he says, “but what I learned in college is that there were a lot opportunities to apply problem solving at a larger level." “Software developers aren’t the only ones under represented in congress." You would think in an interview with Wired you could be a little less the generic politician. It would be interesting to hear his thoughts on healthcare.gov or, as he wants to represent Atlantic City, online gambling. Hopefully that would elicit responses other than cliches.

smacktoward 13y ago
> why does he repeatedly belittle coding? Because most people aren't coders, and tech is going through a wave of bad PR right now. You wouldn't go around touting a career as an exec at BP right after the big oil spill, either.
- spikels 13y ago
  I guess you think the anti-tech sentiment is worse than I do. But this makes him seems even more the generic politician: take a poll then decide who you are and what you believe. How can he expect to win by blending in with his competitors? I would hope he brings something to the table that his advisors won't make him run away from. This is sad.
  - davecolenj 13y ago
    I do not belittle it at all! In fact I think we should have programs in schools so more kids have the opportunity to get into the field. It's a wonderful profession that sadly too few people have access to. See the last Q here: http://www.itworld.com/networking/409027/meet-coder-whos-running-for-congress http://www.itworld.com/networking/409027/meet-coder-whos-run...

tipiwi 13y ago

I love the fact that this guy is bold enough to believe he can run for Congress. Americans have such a powerful open minded attitude... He will probably fail but will give more visibility to the issues that matter most to him. He will also learn a few things about politics and press along the way and who knows what he can do next with this knowledge. I say go for it!

unethical_ban 13y ago

But he believes that the U.S. House — rather than state or local government — is the perfect place to start. “I’m running to tackle the issues that most affect families in South Jersey, like too few jobs, too high student debt, the need to act on climate change and the opportunity to make vital investments in education and infrastructure,” he says. “On those and many other issues, the leadership of the House of Representatives have obstructed any attempts at moving our country forward.” --- Thinking like this is why we have a gigantic, anti-Constitutional federal government. Why can't he work on infrastructure in NJ at the state or local level? Why can't he work on jobs programs and economic incentives for businesses in NJ? Climate change is the only thing listed that needs action above a state level.

astrange 13y ago
Most of the effects of student loan debt are caused at the federal level. They're the ones providing loan money and making it impossible to discharge debt while not setting any price controls. My loan has a … 7% interest rate?
humanrebar 13y ago
Student loans are effectively nationalized right now, so it has become a national issue, but your point is well taken.
davecolenj 13y ago
I respect the balance of federal vs state policy and don't seek to tip it. As others have pointed out, these are issues that the federal government regulates. I'd be happy to see states take on more of the burden on job creation, but national infrastructure projects are often some of the most cost-effective ways to create jobs and open up new economic opportunities. These are public goods that are not able to be privatized. Would love to hear your specific suggestions on ways this can be more balanced.
- ericd 13y ago
  A politician that replies to comments on HN! Thanks, in for $25, and good luck.

itsdrewmiller 13y ago

Geez hacker news, talk about a can't win! The top comment is complaining that he needs to have a broad appeal instead of focus on tech issues and the second highest is complaining he sounds too generic and should talk more about niche online issues. I know Dave personally and will say that if the healthcare.gov debacle bothered you, there is probably not another person in the world with as clear a view into that dysfunction and with the passion to end it.

spikels 13y ago
Sorry but he is clearly playing down his involvement with tech in the article - oddly to Wired - for exactly the top comment's reasons. I hope it is not a barrier to being a politician. His website is upfront about being an "engineer" and even "entrepreneur" but still mostly generic. I would love to hear about his experience with the healthcare.gov mess and his thoughts on how to avoid these problems in the future. There are dozens of similar extremely important federal governmant IT project experiencing similar problems.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

polskibus 13y ago

I read the headline and thought that it's about Stallman becoming a Congressman. I'm slightly disappointed.

davecolenj 13y ago

I'd love to jump into this discussion. If you've got specific questions about what I stand for, fire away. Generally, though, my campaign focuses on the issues of job creation and education, because those are the most pressing issues I see here where I grew up in South Jersey. Every family has a story about someone who lost a job, spent too long unemployed, maybe lost healthcare in the process, and had to settle for a less stable job without benefits, less pay, or an hourly schedule. And everyone knows someone saddled with $30k in student loan debt settling for a minimum wage job after a degree, because the entry level jobs are gone or filled by those with more experience. My district as a whole has not weathered the recession as well as many employed in our profession have. That's my top focus. I'm happy to engage a debate on how we do that or hear your thoughts. I am not diminishing the work developers do in any way. I think the article's mention of "downplaying" just serves to put that in context of the issues I'm focusing on. Being a developer, having had the chance to work with an incredible team and contribute to growing a new company, give me important experience and a novel perspective compared to those who usually run for office at this level. I've tried to capture that here: https://medium.com/p/ce7c0dc63aaa https://medium.com/p/ce7c0dc63aaa As for something unique, I have actually worked on government IT systems, as well as private sector ones. Go watch a Congressional hearing on a tech issue. Tell me you think more of us shouldn't be sitting in that room setting the record straight. Congress should represent all people, and include all professions like engineers and developers, not to mention people under 40. Also, we're just a few weeks into the campaign, but next week I'll be posting a more detailed policy platform on http://coleforcongress.com http://coleforcongress.com, so I hope you'll sign up and stay engaged. To the cynics, as I said in the comments of the article: > Yes, the influence of money in elections is corrupting, but I refuse to give up on the idea of representative democracy. I'm willing to fight for it, even if the deck seems stacked. I see no shame in giving it my all. > And it's a simple formula for how we win: less money from more people vs more money from less people. If people like you and me who recognize the system is broken put our necks on the line, work together, and contribute what we can, we will win. There are more of us who want to fix the system than those who benefit from it. > So why not join me? http://coleforcongress.com http://coleforcongress.com

dllthomas 13y ago
So, I'm sure you're aware there's not a magic "jobs" lever when you get to Capitol Hill that's just set in the wrong position. What kinds of proposals do you support that you hope might help solve the problem (or lessen the pain of it)?

wellsjohnston 13y ago

lol he made the whitehouse website...not exactly an "open source coder"

emackn 13y ago
but WH.gov is Drupal ;)

julienchastang 13y ago

We already have one coder/entrepreneur in congress, Jared Polis, member of the US House from Colorado's 2nd congressional district. We could, of course, use more elected representatives like Mr. Polis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Polis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Polis

pilom 13y ago
Seriously! How is Boulder Colorado the only district that has been able to elect a coder? I'm looking at you California.

warfangle 13y ago

If/when he gets in office he should put the bills he sponsors, cosponsors etc up on github as diffs to the main corpus of US law.