>For once we disagree. I think there's been a lot of nonsense about McCain not using email or having a Blackberry. A guy who can fly a fighter jet can figure those things out if he wants to. And they are hardly the key skills we should be looking for in a president. I am also turned off by all the jokes about McCain's age, as though he's senile or something. If he is, he's hiding it very well.

I hadn't thought too much about this, except for its placing McCain as in the older generation until this one crossed my desk, right after reading your message:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/149789/2008/08/.html?tk=rss_news

"The next U.S. president could shape cybersecurity, government research initiatives, intellectual property laws, and wired and wireless communications services in ways that affect both enterprise IT executives and average citizens. Yet some experts say he could handle all this without having Twittered, texted or even used a PC, although his familiarity with information technologies might strongly affect his policies.

Much has been made in the media of a seemingly wide gulf in tech smarts between Republican John McCain, who has described letting his wife handle his computer tasks, and Democrat Barack Obama, who has appeared on video using a BlackBerry while walking down the street.

..."

Plus I heard part of this story (http://www.here-now.org/shows/2008/08/20080814_5.asp) over lunch, in which an expert commented that he's looking forward to a new administration to be able to improve the network in the US, since the current admin hasn't been willing to invest.

So comfort level with today's technology does seem to matter. A president who doesn't even know the right way to mention email seems like a risk.

Tamar