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High Tech Keeps Low Profile At Conventions
Despite the hype surrounding the omnipresence and influence of the Internet at the 2000 national political conventions, high-tech firms are keeping a relatively low profile at this year's gatherings — as many CEOs have opted for vacation time over politics, or have decided that their schedules were too tight to travel to Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
For example, high profile and politically active CEOs such as Cisco Systems' John Chambers, Dell Computers' Michael Dell, Autodesk's Carol Bartz and eBay's Meg Whitman will not be at the conventions. (Chambers has literally "gone fishin'": He will spend this week on an annual fishing trip with his father and son.)
Meanwhile, such Washington-based trade associations as the Information Technology Industry Association and the American Electronics Association will be no-shows at the GOP gathering in Philadelphia this week, even as many "old economy" interests host expensive receptions to honor — and curry favor with — key members of Congress. Apparently, the only high-tech association to pay to co-host a party at the GOP convention — which formally opens Monday — is the Electronic Industries Alliance, which played a significant lobbying role in the extension of permanent normal trade relations for China passed by the House in late May.
Glitzy Parties Don't Deliver
The seeming disinterest in the quadrennial party conventions comes despite the fact that the high-tech industry has jumped into the top 10 list of corporate political donors in the current election cycle — with contributions totaling $15.3 million, up from $9.5 million in the 1998 election cycle. The figures, compiled by the Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics, represent a combination of so-called hard and soft money.
"To be honest, I think it's because sponsoring glitzy parties doesn't really get you anything," said one lobbyist from a large technology company. "Members already know who we are, and we already have good relationships with many of them. We'd get more for our money meeting with them one on one than hosting a party."
"We aren't into that, it's not a [Silicon] Valley thing," said Floyd Kvamme, a partner in the venture capital firm of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. And besides, Kvamme added, GOP nominee-in-waiting George W. Bush "already knows we're his friends."
But the high-tech industry also has stressed that its companies do not continually favor one party over the other. Hence, many CEOs may be staying away from the conventions to avoid being pegged as Republican or Democratic, according to several industry sources.
Who's On First?
"The reality is that the Internet doesn't understand politics, and politics doesn't understand the Internet. The Internet community thinks they don't want to 'dirty' themselves in politics. Their focus is on public policy...and so there is this kind of mating game going on between the two communities," said Michael McCurry, former White House press secretary under President Clinton who is now a senior adviser to Web White & Blue and a member of Grassroots.com's board of directors.
Added McCurry, "I think the CEOs aren't there [at the conventions] because while they may be personally interested in politics, they don't necessarily believe in the political process. "
Still, the high-tech community will play a more significant role at this year's conventions than in the past. Companies such as Microsoft, Motorola, AT&T, Global Crossing, Hewlett-Packard, and Cisco have donated millions of dollars in computer hardware, software and equipment, as well as supplying cash contributions to the convention host committees.
Microsoft, for example, is giving $1 million to both conventions, although only $100,000 is in the form of direct cash donations, according to a company spokesman. The remainder is in software products.
And Microsoft, America Online and TechNet — Silicon Valley's lobbying group — are also co-hosting a number of parties at both conventions. In addition, TechNet's co-CEOs, Lezlee Westine and Jeff Modisett, have arranged for roundtable discussions at both the Republican and Democratic conventions.
TechNet Promotes Agenda
"I don't think high-tech is taking a low profile at all," said Westine, who is TechNet's Republican CEO — and who is doubling this week as a member of the California delegation to the Philadelphia convention. "We will have a strong presence there with 40 of our member companies and we are co-hosting a number of events to highlight our company's accomplishments and to promote our policy agenda."
TechNet co-hosted a a reception Sunday — a day before the Republican convention's formal opening — with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge that was aimed at highlighting the industry, and Tuesday of this week is sponsoring a high-tech panel with the Republican National Convention's Youth Delegation. Speakers on that panel include Kvamme, New Enterprise Associates general partner Stewart Alsop, ClickAction CEO Gregory Slayton and BEA Systems founder Bill Coleman.
GOP convention planners also have scheduled Proxicom founder and CEO Raul Fernandez and pcOrder.com President Christina Jones as speakers during the convention's Wednesday evening session.
At the Democratic convention, which begins Monday, Aug. 14, TechNet — in conjunction with the New Democrat Network, the political arm of the moderate New Democrat coalition — will host a Wednesday morning high-tech panel discussion and then an evening party. TechNet members may also participate in a discussion on high-tech policy with Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-SD earlier in the week, according to sources organizing the Democratic events.
Where High Tech Parlays Into Platforms
Both parties also are incorporating high-tech policy into their platforms, which are designed to outline the parties' general policy positions. The platform that will be ratified by the GOP convention this week includes much of Bush's high-tech agenda — including revamping the system that imposes export controls on computer products, increasing the cap on H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, further opening up trade in international markets and enacting legislation that restrains lawsuits.
There also is a platform plank on education, which advocates transferring the $3 billion "e-rate" program from the Federal Communications Commission to the Education Department. It also calls for giving schools and libraries more flexibility in using the money for teacher training and other information technology programs, rather than simply for the wiring schools and libraries to the Internet.
"This won't be a detailed A to Z, soup-to-nuts platform. It will be a shorter, more forward looking document that embraces the party's values, like tax refunds, free trade and the free flow of capital, ideas and people," a senior Republican National Committee staff member said last week.
The Democrats call their high-tech portion of the platform "Bridging the Gap," and plan to focus on policy that would result in Internet access in every home. Their draft platform calls for every student to be computer literate by the 8th grade, and supports a doubling in federal investment in information technology research and development. It also advocates making the research and experimentation tax credit permanent.
Parties Hope High Tech Will Sway Voters
The parties hope their platform planks on high-tech issues may help to sway independent voters this November. "I think you'll get the swing voters looking at both conventions to draw impressions on what the parties' policy would be vis-a-vis wired workers," said Wade Randlett, founder and vice president of business development at RedGorilla.com.
"It's not just about how many video clips can you download on the party Web sites, but what is being said and what the message is of each party. Clearly, they will be looking for a platform that addresses new economy issues."
And voters will have plenty of ways to follow the conventions on the Internet. Although the major on-air networks are shunning much of the convention podium and floor activity that they covered in the past, there will be an unprecedented number of Internet media organizations providing live video — as well as reports and columns — about almost every moment of the two conventions.
For example, SpeakOut.com and MSNBC will be conducting live Internet chats during each convention's evening speeches, and will seek opinions of the convention speakers from Web subscribers. Voter.com will have about 60 Internet-connected kiosks placed around the conventions to provide a list of every convention event and party, along with directions and suggestions for restaurants. With the help of Broad Daylight software, the Republican National Committee will solicit and answer questions from voters on its Web site.
This all adds up to voters being given the opportunities to participate directly in conventions as they never have been before, said Joe Rodota, vice president for strategic development for Broad Daylight. Added McCurry: "The Internet isn't yet a core part of campaigns. Right now it is being used as a public relations and communications tool, not as a tool of persuasion — but that is where it will head. By 2004, the Internet might be the way people get the news about the conventions."
 | - by Bara Vaida |
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