What is Digg?144 Comments
- ajb2015, on 10/12/2007, -21/+56@LucianSolaris
Don't make stupid generalizations. - velo2k77, on 10/12/2007, -2/+35I sure hope so! It's about time we start getting some senators who are tech friendly. We need some people who can stand up against the RIAA.
- pashdown, on 10/12/2007, -1/+29Recent polls have shown Hatch at 45% against "Someone else" at 48%. Scott Matheson Jr., a Democrat, won 42% in the 2004 Governor's race while Bush won 70% here. This race is not impossible, but it needs your help.
The Wiki (http://peteashdown.org/wiki) is an ongoing town-hall meeting. If you believe in Democracy, there is no difference between a leader accepting input online vs. in person. If you'd rather not have a voice, then there's nothing I can do to convince you otherwise. - ppinette, on 10/12/2007, -2/+27From Pete Ashdown's collaboration wiki:
"The right of Utah citizens to own and use weapons for personal and public defense is mentioned in both the US Bill of Rights and the Utah State Constitution. As a Senator, I will support those Constitutional rights to responsibly own and use guns. The State of Utah is primarily responsible for defining what constitutes legal use of guns for the citizens of the state, and the current laws seem to be reasonable and working as they presently exist.
I would like to see cooperation on both sides of the issue to reduce the motivations for gun violence. The U.S. should work to eliminate poverty, ignorance, and despair as these are prime motivators for crime and its subsequent violence. Reactive approaches are all too often the short term patch, where the proactive approach is best for the long term. " - dkarlson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21Our current form of government is broken. I wish there was a way to reduce the power of corporations in government, eliminate the ability to piggyback unrelated laws on top of more important things (like pushing DMCA crap thru with a weapons bill, something no politician in their right mind will go against), and restore justice to our land by eliminating punishment that doesn't fit the crime (like 10 years for pirating, but far less for physically violent crimes).
- RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -4/+25Just to help prevent anyone from getting their hopes up - let me fill you in on something about Utah. Pete Ashdown stands no chance. Utahns, for the most part, care more about moral issues than tech issues. Democrat is practically a swear word.
Lets put it this way. In 2004, George W. Bush won 61.09% of Texas's popular vote. He one 71.4 % of Utah's...
The ballots should come with Orrin Hatch's name pre-filled in - so you have to erase it if you don't want to vote for him... because that's what 99% of the people will fill in anyway so you might as well save them some time. He's a loving grandfather-figure. If you try to run a smear campaign against him - it wont stick. It will backfire. If you try to campaign against him on the issues - you had better have more than one issue (tech) or you will certainly fail.
I'm not defending his anti-consumer pro-RIAA/MPAA stances - but I just want everyone to know how very unlikely it is that anyone will succeed against Hatch. Let alone a democrat. - gillyboatbruff, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21Actually, the Mormon church does not endorse candidates. I'm a Mormon. I've voted for Hatch before. I've met him several times. This Novemeber, I will be voting for Pete.
- recursive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24Should a politician not represent the wishes of the people? Do these not change?
- DataPath, on 10/12/2007, -0/+19I'm LDS, and when I lived in Provo, and the election came around, I was so hoping that Orrin Hatch was up for reelection so I could vote AGAINST him. Vote for anyone BUT him. I think it would be hard to do worse than him for the country and for Utah.
The LDS church does not tell people how to vote when it comes to elections. They rarely suggest anything about how to vote on laws, except on decidedly moral issues (gay marriage being the most notable in my memory). Your standing in the church is not affected by how you vote (although your social standing may be, if you don't exercise tact). - pashdown, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18Ask yourself this question when you're considering the odds. What will happen to American politics if I win with very little money and person-to-person networking on and off the Internet? I believe that like what we've seen with independent film, independent publishing, blogging news, and business on the Internet, a great wall will come crashing down.
Wouldn't that be great for America? To have politicians that are concerned with the people rather than how they're going to finance their reelection? - ebob, on 10/12/2007, -3/+21Even if you don't live in Utah (like me) you can still help by contributing financially https://pashdown.org/contribute/. BTW I typically don't support Democrats myself, but we need more people like this in congress.
- pashdown, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18Tbye, spread the word and tell everyone you know. Drive them to the website and tell them my positions.
- subscriber, on 10/12/2007, -11/+29... "my right to ensure my own net neutrality"
I don't see how your owning a gun will help you ensure the integrity of the net. Do you plan to challenge congressional limiting of internet freedoms with a handgun? - xjbri, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20Ashdown has a really cool website, too. Complete with a Wiki, chat, blog, you name it.
http://vote.peteashdown.org/
This is the kind of person we need in office, too bad I don't live in Utah so I could vote for him. ;-) - pope7, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19He is mormon, but like hell if he has the backing of the church.
- 5blocksfree, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18@klept
Hatch is definitely not the sharpest tool in the box, nor is he the most patriotic (by any means). He has been in office since 1977, which tells me that he's just one of many that see his elected position as a lifetime career. Naturally, when you're talking anything that long term, your objectives change from doing what's right, to doing what's in one's own best interest. This is why I support term limits. People argue that this denies them the freedom to choose who they want in office, but I'd argue that the *failure* to do this has much more dire consequences, as the stagnation leads to all kinds of underhanded deal-making, empire building, and general abuse of power. - Phoenyx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Senator Orrin Hatch has given us the Induce Act and the DMCA and is infamous for his "damaging someone's computer may be the only way you can teach somebody about copyrights" speech. This Wired magazine article is an interview with Pete Ashdown, the tech-savvy geek who is running against him this year.
- pope7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15What?! The Mormons are like the only church left with a policy of NEVER telling their churchgoers who to vote for. They take stands on issues, but never particular people.
- gmerin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18Wish I could vote for him; Hatch is and has been detrimental to the growth of the country for years (probably since he served in the Continental Millitia during the 1770s).
- mirunit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14 * Abortion -- Promote personal responsibility. Should be deferred to the states.
* Capital Punishment -- Death penalty not a deterrent. Discontinue it.
* Copyright -- Promote public domain. Oppose DMCA. Re-evaluate closed source software copyrights.
* Defense -- Move spending from the high-end to the low-end. Support infantry first and veterans after.
* Economy -- Invest in longterm solutions such as education. Penalize corporations that outsource offshore (move to corporate governance?).
* Education -- Decouple federal funding and test performance. Model on successful programs. Make schools safe, healthy and free from commercialism. (What about Higher Education and the reduction in loans and grants?)
* Election Reform -- Comprehensive election reform package.
* Energy -- Full energy independence in a decade through American innovation and renewables.
* Environment -- National land use policy but with local control. Clean energy. Protecting our open spaces and wilderness while gaining revenue from recreational sources.
* Ethics and Corruption -- Promote "wide open" transparency. Control lobbying.
* Foreign Relations -- Support nations that affirm human rights and democracy.
* Guns -- Support gun ownership. Reduce motivations for gun violence. (How?)
* Health Care -- Regulate drug advertising. Research for cost-effective treatments.
* Immigration -- Closely track immigrants. Base immigration quotas on needs.
* Iraq -- Help Iraqis reconstruct their infrastructure. Let Iraqis vote on how long the US should stay.
* Labor -- Reward responsible businesses and protect startups and small business. Regulate irresponsible businesses. (Needs input on Unions)
* Law Enforcement and First Responders
* Lobbyists -- Restrict in-person meetings between officials and lobbyists.
* National Security -- Control immigration. Rebuild our global reputation. Stop nuclear proliferation. (Needs more work...)
* National Service & AmeriCorps -- Foster national service among young people.
* Nuclear Waste -- No nuclear waste at Goshute Reservation; promote on-site reprocessing
* Nuclear Weapons and Testing -- No use of nuclear weapons, no further testing, work on non-proliferation.
* Obscenity and Pornography -- Ensure private industry gives parents the tools to protect children.
* Patents -- Patent system is broken, peer review and staged granting is a possible solution.
* Patriot Act -- Needs to be changed to protect citizen privacy.
* Politics -- Democrat.
* Prison Reform -- Prepare prisoners for return to society by working 8-hr days in prison.
* Property Rights
* Seniors -- Stop government borrowing from Social Security.
* Sexual Orientation -- Reduce government interference with personal lives.
* Social Security -- Only minor adjustments are needed.
* Stem Cell Research -- Remove restrictions.
* Taxation -- "true" flat-tax. Close loopholes used by corporations.
* Technology -- Promote companies to focus on long term, not just the next quarter. Promote investment in renewable energy producing technology.
* Term Limits -- Choose committee leadership by lottery instead of seniority.
* Torture -- Initiate measures to eliminate torture and prisoner abuse.
* Trade -- Protect American jobs and innovation.
* Transportation -- Promote high speed rail technology over road widening.
* Veterans -- G.I. Bill of Rights for 21st century.
* Water Issues -- Determine full impact of the SNWA's intent. Closely manage Bear River. - klept, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14I would like to see anyone beat Hatch, and get that toady dummy out of office. Unfortunately he - Ashdown- probably doesnt stand a chance. He is running in Utah. Need anymore be said.
Still, if he can run anything like a close race, it may scare Hatch enough to moderate some of this political positions. And that would be a public service.
Hatch may not be the sharpest tool in the box, but he has stayed in office a long time. And most people that are in political office a long time know how to count. If a large part of the constituancy vote for Ashdown, Hatch will take notice and start counting, and change his aggenda. - justinmorris, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I was walking along Ogden River (in Utah) last night and I saw a sign for this guy. I meant to remember the name and look it up, but I forgot. I am glad (and kind of shocked) that this made the front page of digg, it gave me a chance to look him up. Hope he wins!
- Phoenyx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I've chatted with him over irc (irc.xmission.com). He's very accessible for a politician.
- drawkbox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I hope he wins, but he realized he's a Democrat in Utah right? That is the most extreme right place on earth (I know because I am from there). Take down the Hatch!
- arkmannj, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I'm from Utah and wanted Hatch out for years... apparently I'm in the minority.
- ebob, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10If you read page three of the article, he says he uses Ubuntu. It is kind of hard to use IE when Ubuntu is your operating system.
- Phoenyx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9yup, that's him. Read his profile.
- thavok, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Curious if pashdown is really Pete Ashdown? If so that is awesome he uses digg.
- digitalcaffeine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Senator? FWIW, I would like to see Ashdown running for President! He looks a lot more useful for the big job than anybody (on either side) that is "considering". Just my 2 cents worth.
- tbye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Pete,
How can your fellow Utah techies help out with the campaign? I'll look to answer my own question on your wiki.
*** Proud to be a free thinking Mormon! *** - besonen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Phoenyx wrote:
> I've chatted with him over irc (irc.xmission.com).
you can find him in #pashdown. he's there right now in fact. - stringycheese, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I will agree that Utahns usually vote Republican. I am from Utah and I don't believe in attaching to a party. I will vote for whoever best represents my interests. I would like to see Pete in office and Orrin out. He sounds ike a genuinely good guy whereas Orrin is an idiot.
FYI, The LDS Church official stance on politics is simply that they want you to get out and vote. I have never ever heard of them endorsing a particular candidate or party. - JalenJade, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9There are more non-mormons than mormons in Utah, 53% non-mormon 47% mormon
- dasunst3r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8What I think we could also use is a site that keeps track of the politicians who support this kind of stuff; and come time for their reelection, residents of said politicans' jurisdiction would go and vote that n00b out (i.e. vote for anybody but him/her).
- aluminumpork, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Take a look at his site, and his list of issues. He has many many issues, and he sounds like the kind of guy I would want in office.
- justinmorris, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Check out: http://vote.peteashdown.org/issues/
Or view his Wiki! http://vote.peteashdown.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Immigration: http://vote.peteashdown.org/wiki/index.php/Immigration - jayhawk99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7It's very possible that a democrat can win this election. Rocky Anderson, the mayor of Salt Lake City, is democrat and has very liberal policies (supports gay-marriage, opposes english only legislation, against D.A.R.E, etc.). A challenge for sure, but it's not impossible to de-throne Hatch.
- puzzlesource, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12this is exactly what needs to be done...all the politicians do is raise hullbaloo to make their constituents think they are actually doing work when in essence they pass retarded legislation like DMCA and the recent ISP logs measure. Sure everyone can start a petition, but anyone who has half a brain knows that online petitions never work. By running against the tech retards, people who keep up with technology can actually have a voice and last I checked techies weren't lefties. But yes stupid generalizations aside, good move
- andyman1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7He's still in the IRC mentioned earlier. Have a chat with him!
- helix400, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Calling them "sheep" and "close-minded" isn't going to win people over to the cause. And yes, I'm a Utah Republican, and a Mormon. I've seen what happens when someone walks into the culture and says "You don't think independently enough. But I'm a Free Thinker. So let me tell you why you are wrong." It almost always pushes people further away from the cause being advocated.
- kp3469, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/JAVA/election2004/PurpleAmericaPosterAll50.gif
a picture is worth ... well, you know. nice pic of the redness/blueness of states on '04. Utah - bright red! i wish Ashdown the best, but i agree w/ RyeBrye - he doens't stand a snowball's chance ... - Narpas, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Tell me you didn't just figure this out. :-P
- helix400, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6It's tough to win as a Democrat in Utah. You first need media exposure, otherwise people vote for the Republican by default. So to get attention, what too many Utah Democrats wronlyg do, (and this Wired article did it too), is arrogantly demean the voting base for not being as "enlightened" as they are.
Pete Ashdown isn't taking this "I'm more enlightened than you, so vote for me" attitude. He's taking a very practical approach. Unfortunately, the big problem with that is...you don't get media exposure.
It's kind of a Catch-22. Here's hoping that Pete can stay clean and respectful, while also getting media exposure he needs. - kremvax, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Wait... Hatch is a Republican!
Aren't they for smaller government and accountability and all.? And character! He can't possibly be on the lobbyist dole. I mean, he's a Republican!
Or was that just a bunch of empty talk to get votes... Oh.....
oh, geez... all these years.... and I believed them.... I've been sooo very very foolish... - Kaster, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Wish I lived there so I could vote for him, I hope more people follow his lead.
- MadOgre, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I'm a Mormon too. Hatch has got to go. He's done some good work for Utah in the past, but it's time for him to go.
I voted for him once before, but not in the last election and not ever again.
This Techie guy doesn't look like a bad choice on the surface... He's pro gun and seems to have some Libertarian points of view on some issues. He's worth keeping an eye on. I'll have to talk to him. - MediaShipper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I paypal'd him 10 dollars
- pabster, on 10/12/2007, -7/+13It's hard to use the PDA when you're windsurfing on Nantucket.
- cjmemay, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11Ensure net neutrality yourself???
How?
Have you seriously just advocated killing in the name of net neutrality?
The fact that you see this as an issue that can be solved by owning (and using) a gun, shows just how confused people are about these issues.
The second amendment allows you to own a gun, not to take or threaten anyone's life.
We do not live in a state of nature, or barbarism. By accepting the protections of the United States Government you agree to abide by their laws. At least one of them prohibits you from killing people in the name of maintaining high bandwidth.
Notice how I did not say "You redneck backwards red state christian fundamentalist conservatives". Because insults and gross generalizations are unhelpful in a "grown-up" discussion. - borchard76, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Orrin may be mormon (he is), but I certainly wouldn't support him if I lived in Utah (yes, I am Morman). The church itself maintains a strict stance of political neutrality, and very wisely so.
That said, the LDS church also strongly emphasizes moral issues. Bluntly put, if Ashdown doesn't run on essentially the same moral platfrom as Hatch, he will likely lose. If, however, he were to do this, and say, "I am pretty much in line with what Mr. Hatch believes about the moral issues", he would do much better as long as he can sell the importance of the other issues. He's gonna have to play a smart game.
Honestly, though, I don't know what his stance is on the moral issues. Even if he is able to compete in Utah on that platform, claiming ties to the Dems is going to hurt him. He would be MUCH better off running as a Libertarian, and frankly he seems more in line with that parties lines.
Here's my personal stance (not that anyone cares) on politics: if you are for personal liberty over government control, then I like you. I am for smaller (but not non-existant) government. I think that the government should never be felt in my personal life as long as I am not hurting anyone else. Issues like intellectual property rights shouldn't be a valid debate. As a semi-aspiring writer (read: I have a bunch of stuff I've written but never shown anyone but close friends and family), I am perfectly happy with the concept of having my writing in the public domain or under a license that essentially says that I wrote it. As long as I get attribution for most of my writing (should it ever become public), I don't care who sees it, copies it, etc.
Enough said. -
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