Presidential candidates finally address important issue: their gadgets

Sure, it's important to know Candidate A's position on the environment or how Candidate B plans to handle our international affairs, but when it comes to the issue of character, we'll suggest that there is no single attribute more telling than a presidential hopeful's electronic devices of choice. For instance, an Xbox-lover might engage the country even more deeply in the gears of war, while a Roomba owner would likely work to ensure the cleanliness of our national roads and parks. So what, then, does the AP's poll of the 2008 presidential candidates' favorite gadgets say about this current crop of potential world leaders? Unfortunately, that they're a pretty boring bunch: six of the nine respondents could only manage to come up with run-of-mill iPods and BlackBerries (and couldn't anyone at least give us some model names to work with -- we can't live without knowing if Hillary prefers the 3G nano to the 2G). Only Republicans Giuliani, Huckabee, and McCain strayed from the pack here, although America's Mayor seems a little behind the times with his "CD player," and Senator McCain certainly won't be getting much work done with one hand on his cherished TV remote. Anyway, all of this has got us wondering: what do you think that some of today's popular gadgets might indicate about their owner's character?

[Thanks, Mike T.]

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 19th 2007 10:07AM]

It shows they are either followers who are afraid of straying from the status quo, or they are leaders who throw status quo to the wind.

Favorite gadget is iPod = follower
Favorite gadget is BlackBerry = follower

[matt @ Dec 19th 2007 10:53AM]

Ahh. You must be one of those people that think the only way for a person to not be a follower is to roll your own with a daisy mp3 player kit - unless that's too mainstream too, in which case you could develop your own platform...

[Joshua Walters @ Dec 19th 2007 11:12AM]

I agree with that. Every body and their brother has an Apple branded mp3 player.

If they had said Zune, it would have been alot better.

Oh, and wouldnt it have been so much worse if they said iPod/iPhone. I would have died. I dont want my country to be run by a Mac fanboy (especially not a certain Mac fanboy that goes by the name of Al Gore)

[quandmeme @ Dec 19th 2007 12:21PM]

Don't our gadgets indicate whether we are about the form or the
substance? Some people get better and/or more fulfilled by their
results if their tools make them feel connected to their
data/workproduct/objectives. I think that's why people get passionate
about their Ubutu or their iPhone, because of the way they _relate_ to
their gadget as a form independent of the substance. I think others
are all about the substance and are fulfilled by that relationship. A
dedicated non-smart phone user just wants to relate to their contacts
and conversations as such. In a government, I'd want a mix. In the
executive branch, I think we want form > substance, Macs >
Blackberries.

[Hustle Strategy @ Dec 19th 2007 10:11AM]

Shows they are out of touch with general population.

www.hustlestrategy.com

[NHAnimator @ Dec 19th 2007 10:19AM]

Favorite electronic devices of candidates:

Huckabee = webcam (glowing cross in background)
Clinton = camcorder with heavy-duty soft-focus lens
Obama = iPod with Eye of the Tiger, We Will Survive, etc.
Giuliani = tape recorder (taped to chest)
McCain = state-of-the-art reel-to-reel
Edwards = hair dryer with moisture-detecting and follicle-alignment sensors
Ron Paul = UFO-based surveillance system

[Jeremy K. @ Dec 19th 2007 10:21AM]

lol... best post!

[Skullfighter @ Dec 19th 2007 11:37AM]

Agreed! Best post! Spot on to the candidate! ROFL

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2007 2:33PM]

Kucinich is the UFO guy...

[andrew @ Dec 19th 2007 10:22AM]

At what point are "hordes of campaign managers, assistants, and sundry other organizers" gadgets in their own right? Who would expect Hillary to have a cell number you could just dial and be assured of speaking with her directly? Candidates (as well as politicians) these days don't have time to answer their own phones. Calls should be screened by a follower and then a conversation can take place on the follower's cell phone. That also solves the problem of needing to be ready to take more than one call at once.

[Anthony @ Dec 19th 2007 12:23PM]

Too busy doing what? Brown-nosing special interests groups or giving immunity out when the constitution clearly says, "No Bill of Attainder or ex post
facto Law shall be passed." http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#A1Sec9 If I was Chelsea and I did not have a direct number to call my mom where SHE would pick up I would be pretty F&%$ing pissed.

[Flashpoint @ Dec 19th 2007 10:24AM]

The republican candidates are a joke (and I am a Republican).

The strongest candidate is Romney and he can't win simply because he's a Mormon. Huckabee is tainted and would never be able to win the presidency even if he got the Republican nomination.

Regardless what electronic device they walk around with, they aren't gadget minded - or science minded for that matter - so comparing them based on cellphones is irrelevant.

[jroc @ Dec 19th 2007 12:23PM]

All the other candidates are a joke (ie on the same team cfr council on foreign relations) google it. Ron Paul is pretty much the only one not on that team. The founder of the cfr has stated "we shall have world government wether it be by conquest or consent" Paul Warburg. So no not all republican candidates are a joke.

[ScareyJ @ Dec 19th 2007 1:40PM]

Politicians suck ... whether they suck using an iPod or a Zune doesn't matter much.

According to the Washington Post, Pelosi and Graham (both sides) knew about waterboarding (without objections) in '02 but then both grandstanded in '05 during hearings about how awful its use is (personally I'm on the fence on ever using it) ... do I really care that while they're bullsh*ting me, they're holding an iPhone or a Zune, nah.

[Meng Bomin @ Dec 20th 2007 1:16AM]

jroc, you shouldn't paraphrase quotes if you're trying to criticize them clearly. I googled the first part and came up with this:
"We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent."

I do not know the context of this beyond the fact that it was said at a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations over 57 years ago by a man who has long since died. While the Council on Foreign Relations may be elitist and isolated, they are certainly not monolithic and this conspiracy theory claptrap coming from some groups of the Ron Paul fanbase doesn't exactly endear their candidate to people who don't wear tin foil hats.

[Randy @ Dec 19th 2007 10:25AM]

For the candidates that mentioned the various music playback devices, would it have killed them to mention what it's playing? I think that would be more telling than the gadgets they use.

[Phil_B @ Dec 19th 2007 10:30AM]

What's McCain's *other* hand doing? I must have missed something.

[Alex @ Dec 19th 2007 2:15PM]

Hahaha exactly my thought when I was reading the post.

[StinkyPete @ Dec 19th 2007 10:31AM]

Right now people have issues trying to elect someone due to race, gender, or religion. We're generations away from handling complex issues like how nerdy a candidate is.

[andy @ Dec 19th 2007 10:34AM]

I think that these answers tell us that the candidates don't answer their own mail in questions, and that they're very afraid to deviate from a canned answer. (with good reason though, look where it'll get you)

[db cooper @ Dec 19th 2007 10:37AM]

ron paul = iPhone

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronpaul2008/858095786/in/photostream/

[Anthony @ Dec 19th 2007 11:06AM]

I love Ron Paul. Too bad he's not true 3rd party or could pull in some far left enviro activist to support (or as a "promised" vice). I'd be more interested that way.

[Quote the Raven @ Dec 19th 2007 10:45AM]

Strange Hillary didn't mention her Billdo...

[josh @ Dec 19th 2007 10:59AM]

Anyone else just really want to hear a candidate say "My iphone/ipod touch, jailbroken of course, who could live without installer?"

[The Steven @ Dec 19th 2007 11:06AM]

What, nobody has a Tilt?

[edmunny @ Dec 19th 2007 11:07AM]

Certain republican candidates do not believe in evolution and believe that the world is 6k years old. I think they need to get that straightened out before I start worrying about which ipod they use.

[Joe Shmoe @ Dec 19th 2007 6:37PM]

... wow, I hope that parody, but if not it's amazing how quickly the ignorant zero in on these little comments.

Jeremy, maybe you should read a book that *isn't* over 2000 years old sometime?

[mike @ Dec 19th 2007 2:15PM]

From your answering genesis website:

When a scientist’s interpretation of data does not match the clear meaning of the text in the Bible, we should never reinterpret the Bible. God knows just what He meant to say, and His understanding of science is infallible, whereas ours is fallible. So we should never think it necessary to modify His Word.

If a presidential candidate said that, I wonder how that would effect his chances of being elected...
I wonder...

[Luigi193 @ Dec 19th 2007 2:34PM]

Ever hear of the Gap theory?

The world IS millions of years old, doesn't mean there was evolution...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gap_creationism

[andy @ Dec 19th 2007 11:22AM]

And other candidates believe that all life and the world just happened by a series of billions of great big accidents. Maybe they should sort that out before running as well.

[jordan @ Dec 19th 2007 11:36AM]

so what if certain republicans are christians. it doesnt make them any more or less smart. it just proves that they believe in something and not in a stupid explosion that created and entire universe. and by the way jeffry dahmer was an evolutionist so what does that tell you.

[insertAlias @ Dec 19th 2007 12:50PM]

And by the way all those priests who molested little boys were Christians so what does that tell you?

*Absolutely Nothing!* A belief system is no less valid because some very bad people believe in it. I'm no atheist, but that is one of the most flawed arguments I've ever read.

[fistpittingnork @ Dec 19th 2007 2:23PM]

Being Athiest, you may or may not even bother to read what I'm saying. Either way, good for you.

It appears you're basically calling Evolution stupid. Don't you think that's a bit small minded? I don't believe in Deities, Creationism, etc, myself, but I respect the fact that others do. It's human nature to disagree with one another, but can't you try to do so with a little more compassion, open mindedness, and respect?

As a religious person, you sure don't take "Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself" too seriously.

You bring up Jeffrey Dahmer as your argument? What about Christopher Scarver? Already imprisoned on murder charges, murdered Jeffrey Dahmer and Jesse Anderson while all 3 were in prison. He claimed this was the work of God.

Don't you see? No matter what side of the fence you're on, all parties, groups, religions, etc have bad people leading or following.

The grass may or may not be greener, as that's subjective, but try not to display your ignorance to the world through such a narrow point of view.

[edmunny @ Dec 19th 2007 11:58AM]

It tells me that Jeffrey Dahmer has more sense than you do.

[Leach @ Dec 19th 2007 12:50PM]

Agreed.

[AaronPaul @ Dec 19th 2007 6:59PM]

@quandmeme -
I have a mac, ipod AND blackberry. I should be president!

[Daniel @ Dec 19th 2007 12:45PM]

Obama has the TILT

[steele @ Dec 19th 2007 12:46PM]

How does an article on politic tech devolve into bullshit religious rhetoric? There are billions more Muslim and Buddhist believers out there than you moronic Jesuspieces.

THE CANDIDATES WON'T BE SPECIFIC SO THEY DON'T PISS OFF THE PACS DONATING TO THEIR CAMPAIGNS.

As for the election, it's Billary by a landslide.

[insertAlias @ Dec 19th 2007 12:51PM]

Damn, I hope not. But then again, I think the same thing when I imagine any of the other candidates winning as well.

[Ian k @ Dec 19th 2007 1:37PM]

What the hell are you talking about?Theres more christians then any other religion in the world and its been that way for a while now and its not going to change anytime soon.
Now i wanna address you Ron Paul people,Look ya he has some good ideas as to how are country should work,but he doesnt have much of a good persona,I mean he comes off as a 12 year old boy who is over eager,cause his dad didnt hug him enough,people in america dont want that they want someone who is articulate,thought and overall just seems like a good person,and yes its a fact that alot of amercans are just that shallow.

But seriously all this tells me is that there like any other middle aged person these days with power,they use what they need and thats it ..maybe they just need a black berry,maybe they like there tunes whatever who cares??



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Worldwide_percentage_of_Adherents_by_Religion.png

[BigD145 @ Dec 19th 2007 2:57PM]

@Ian K
Our current president is articulate? Wha?!

Every pie chart I've seen that shows religions have major flaws. Buddhism is not a religion. Jewish is also not a religion. Atheist is most definitely not a religion. Mormon gets chunked in with Christianity even though it is nothing more than a cult spawned by a convicted conman and shares very little with Christianity other than a few common characters. Heck, there's no such thing as a "Christian". There's Catholics and Eastern Orthodox and Protestants and Pentecostals, but no Christian.

[stummies @ Dec 20th 2007 12:39PM]

Christians only make up 33% of the worlds religions according to that pie chart. That means approximately 66% percent are not Christians.

[mroach @ Dec 19th 2007 12:59PM]

Being a GSM or CDMA user is pretty important. If you're a GSM user, you support freedom and disdain "big brother" telling you what you can and can't do. You're not a follower; you use whatever device you like best and that best fits your needs and personality.

CDMA users want big government. They want to be told what to do and are content with mediocrity.

[pkilla @ Dec 19th 2007 2:22PM]

No that was just dumb. Did you ever think that in some locations GSM in not good and are forced to use CDMA

[IndiaTech @ Dec 19th 2007 1:01PM]

Did you see Bill Richarson's fav... "My Crackberry"

[Spiderpig @ Dec 19th 2007 1:08PM]

Ron Paul has the best gadgets: A brain and the constitution. Very rare nowadays.

[BigD145 @ Dec 19th 2007 2:42PM]

You might as well ask what their favorite hair style is. STFU and talk about what you are going to do if elected. Then make sure you actually do what you say you were going to do *cough*bushliedtofamilyfarmers*cough*.

[kro-bar @ Dec 19th 2007 8:33PM]

If gadgets make you cringe, isn't it kind of odd that you are posting on this website?

[palehorse @ Dec 20th 2007 3:28PM]

Well, considering the fact that one of them will soon have an entire country to "play with," it kinda makes their choice of iPods a moot point.

"Hey you, secret service dude, I'm bored... bring me the nuclear football and one of those F117's we keep up the street! NOW!"

DOH!

[Benjamin Piper @ Dec 20th 2007 4:02PM]

That image used is patently un-American. RIM is a Canadian company.


BOOOOOOO Engadget.


BOOOOOOO