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Democratic Senator Barack Obama and Republican Senator John McCain Named as Top Picks for Tech in 2008


    Today, leading technology blog TechCrunch endorsed Democratic
    Senator Barack Obama and Republican Senator John McCain as the top
    "Tech President" contenders in the 2008 U.S. Presidential elections.
    The endorsements follow a series of digital policy-themed interviews
    TechCrunch founder and editor Michael Arrington conducted with many of
    the Presidential candidates, as well as a tech primary that TechCrunch
    opened to the blog´s readership in late December 2007
    (http://primaries.techcrunch.com).

    "In an effort to elevate discussion around digital policy in the
    2008 presidential election, TechCrunch is endorsing Senators Barack
    Obama and John McCain as the leading ´Tech President´ candidates for
    this year´s Presidential election," said Michael Arrington, founder
    and co-editor of TechCrunch. "The blog´s editors, readership and
    affiliates have concluded that in an era of great partisanship
    Senators Obama and McCain best reflect the policies, core values and
    global vision to advocate for technology-based businesses, both large
    and small, should either candidate be elected President of the United
    States."

    Digital Policy Issues Important to TechCrunch Readers

    The TechCrunch audience identified ten digital policy issues as
    the technology industry´s leading considerations for the 2008
    presidential election. These policy categories, framing the foundation
    for the "Tech President" endorsements, include:

    -- Technology Education

    -- Immigration and H1B Visas

    -- The Digital Divide

    -- Identity Theft

    -- Mobile Spectrum Auctions and Rules

    -- China

    -- Internet Taxes

    -- Net Neutrality

    -- Intellectual Property

    -- Renewable Energy

    TechCrunch Endorses Candidate Barack Obama

    TechCrunch endorses Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic ticket
    Tech President candidate in the 2008 Presidential election. Senator
    Obama won the TechCrunch Primary poll with 61% of the total vote for
    Democratic candidates.

    "Senator Barack Obama is a tech-savvy, popular candidate in
    Silicon Valley and with the TechCrunch audience," said Arrington. "He
    supports mainstream, pro-technology policies such as more ubiquitous
    broadband Internet access and delivering technology to schools,
    keeping the Internet tax free, increasing the H1-B visa program, and
    making big investments in renewable energy. Importantly, Senator Obama
    has effectively utilized the Internet in his campaign to connect to
    younger and disenfranchised voters to bring them into the process of
    this critical election."

    TechCrunch Endorses Candidate John McCain

    TechCrunch endorses Senator John McCain as the Republican ticket
    Tech President candidate in the 2008 Presidential election. Senator
    McCain was the second choice, following Congressman Ron Paul, in the
    TechCrunch Primary poll with 16% of the total vote for Republican
    candidates.

    "Senator McCain´s straight talk and candor in his interview with
    me impressed the TechCrunch audience," said Arrington. "While he is
    aligned with many of the policies supported by leading technologists
    and tech business owners, it is John McCain´s life story and global
    perspective that may hold the most value to the technology industry
    should he become our President. Navigating important technology
    markets like China and India will require the type of experienced and
    courageous leadership that John McCain is uniquely qualified to
    provide."

    Crunching the Candidates

    The TechCrunch primary poll captured 15,734 votes. The results by
    candidate are as follows:

    Democrats

    Barack Obama 61% of votes

    John Edwards 26% of votes

    Mike Gravel 7% of votes

    Hillary Clinton 6% of votes

    Republicans

    Ron Paul 74% of votes

    John McCain 16% of votes

    Mike Huckabee 5% of votes

    Mitt Romney 3% of votes

    Rudy Giuliani 1% of votes

    About TechCrunch

    Founded in 2005, TechCrunch is a leading technology blog dedicated
    to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and
    companies. In addition to covering new companies, TechCrunch profiles
    existing companies that are making a commercial or cultural impact on
    the new Web space. TechCrunch is co-edited by Michael Arrington and
    Erick Schonfeld. TechCrunch is the flagship property of the Crunch
    Network, which delivers 10 million page views per month from more than
    a dozen blogs and other websites focused on various technology
    verticals and geographies.

    TechCrunch and the TechCrunch logo are trademarks of Interserve,
    Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
    their respective owners.