Geopolitics

Five reasons I think the relationship between Democrats and tech broke:

1. The Democrats are fighting tech more aggressively.
2. The “broken deal” between Democrats and tech.
3. Tech is richer than it used to be.
4. Tech is building in areas in which regulation is more of a direct impediment.
5. "I don't want to live in a world where someone else makes the world a better place... better than we do."

https://www.notboring.co/p/why-the-democrats-lost-tech

It’s a good piece and lags out the how of the breakdown between Democrats and tech, as well as why tech correctly thinks Democrats have turned on tech. 

The single missing piece is the Democrats’ explanation for the switch. In short: events and a new faction took power.

Former SEC/CFTC/House&Senate staffer. Now Policy@Paradigm. Perennial Optimist.

@packy is correct that Obama was very pro-tech, even to the point of praising SpaceX launches publicly and trying to position himself as unreservedly pro-tech. 

But even during his Admin, those views were’t universal. Elizabeth Warren in particular felt the party in the Obama years was too close to tech.

Warren’s was a minority view in Democratic politics in the 2012-2016 period, but her faction was crafty. A lot of Obama Admin staff, even senior folks like David Plouffe and Jim Messina, were going from the Obama Admin into tech.

Enter the Revolving Door Project.

Warren’s was a minority view in Democratic politics in the 2012-2016 period, but her faction was crafty. A lot of Obama Admin staff, even senior folks like David Plouffe and Jim Messina, were going from the Obama Admin into tech.

Enter the Revolving Door Project. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/

Revolving Door Project was an effort at “naming and shaming” folks who moved from Dem politics into business and back, but it also created a means of blocking Obama Admin folks from rejoining government. And the Biden Admin Walsh on showed it was not willing to hire people facing left criticism

Meanwhile, Democrats began to question the utility of tech generally. Where Democrats once extolled tech and tech companies, you started to see people say openly that the internet had been a net negative for society.

You know that old line where Krugman said the internet would less impactful on the economy than the fax machine? That view stopped being a laugh line over the last few years.

You know that old line where Krugman said the internet would less impactful on the economy than the fax machine? That view stopped being a laugh line over the last few years. https://x.com/thestalwart/status/1396822771196473345?s=46&t=6pIOBuXCDYR3MDdqas9hTg

Democrats went from seeing tech as the future to at best a distraction from other, worthier innovations in the economy, especially green energy. Tech began to be seen as stealing scarce resources from other industries even.

Democrats went from seeing tech as the future to at best a distraction from other, worthier innovations in the economy, especially green energy. Tech began to be seen as stealing scarce resources from other industries even. https://x.com/ddayen/status/1732441249951465507?s=46&t=6pIOBuXCDYR3MDdqas9hTg

This happened while Democrats also became more enthused with central planning and industrial policy generally. 

You can find positive concepts about “five year plans” from Democratic candidates for office now if you look hard.

This happened while Democrats also became more enthused with central planning and industrial policy generally. 

You can find positive concepts about “five year plans” from Democratic candidates for office now if you look hard. 

https://x.com/whstancil/status/1684653447021309952?s=46&t=6pIOBuXCDYR3MDdqas9hTg

Basically, Democrats turned against tech not just because of anger at the rich but because of shifting factions, reduced interest in tech, & a move towards a belief that they can do a better job of deciding what deserves investment. This may not persist, but the ongoing separation goes to disagreements over worldview.

This reduced the number of Biden Admin staff who had worked in tech, making the Admin more hostile to tech generally. Without anyone who had real tech-experience in the Admin, academics and nonprofit staff ruled policymaking, and they largely reflected Warren’s views on tech.