Obama demonstrated in his visit to Google not only a deep grasp of the usual issues candidates discuss, but a vision for how technology could help reform Washington. His open government plan (that he unveiled at Google) aims to make wasteful Washington spending and practices open for Americans to see online. Before we can get our politicians to do anything marginally useful for the American people, we need to break the ties between lobbyists and politicians, andshame them and the special interests that support them.
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Agree with Eric—but don't make promises. If, after you forcefully address the above issues, Google CEO Eric Schmidt sits down with you for further discussion, nod vigorously at his every concern. But don't get overly specific. When it comes to "Net neutrality," emphasize that you certainly want the Internet to thrive by letting every start-up get its shot—but don't shoot yourself in the foot by spelling out how you'd regulate it. (That would alienate the cable companies and the telcos.) Antitrust is another minefield, as tech companies change their minds on this depending on who's in the sights of the government. (Microsoft hated antitrust regulations when it was a target in the '90s, but now it seems to think that it's OK to go after Google.) And if you're a GOP candidate who is also courting evangelicals, be very careful—someone might blindside you with a question about evolution, which geeks seem to believe in.
If you feel uncomfortable discussing any matter, just utter the universal Silicon Valley safety word: innovation. It's like pulling out catnip. Keep repeating that, and you'll be fine.
Oh, and when you're at Google, make sure they take you to the biggest of their 17 free cafeterias, Charlie's Cafe. It's a great break from all that junk you have to eat at county fairs.
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