In today's world, should the President of the U.S. be "literate" when it comes to being able to make use of technology, such as computers and the like. The reason I bring this up is a story I saw yesterday on Sen. McCain. Somewhat to my surprise, he says he knows nothing about how to work with computers, the internet, even cell phones. His wife Cindy has to help him, even when it comes to using a Blackberry.

 

The 72 year-old Arizona Senator referred to himself as technologically "illiterate."

 

Does this bother you? My dad, who is 68, a college graduate and a very smart man , wouldn't know how to turn a computer on and has no desire to learn. Of course, dad is not running for president, either.

 

Should a candidate for President of the U.S. be able to turn on a computer or operate a cell phone? Does McCain's ineptitude in this area cause you any concern? This thread is not meant to slam McCain, just simply to explore whether there should be any concerns about this.

 

My concern would be if his technological ineptness was strongly correlated with a lack of curiosity on his part, something that has haunted the current president. He may just have my dad's attitude that he has done okay up to this point and has no need to learn about technology. My late grandmother, when she was McCain's age, was given a brand new microwave, but wanted nothing to do with learning how to operate it. Just as Sen. McCain has Cindy to help him, my granny had my pawpaw to operate the microwave for her. She refused. But granny's dead now, and the Arizona Senator is campaigning for President of the most powerful country in the world.

 

What do you think? Should McCain try to learn more about today's technology or should he just do like my dad and keeping doing what he's done all his life?

Edited June 26, 200818 yr by the mathemagician

We get it, math. He's old! :lol:

The guy is pretty honest about his shortcomings, didn't he say something similar about economics?

The guy is pretty honest about his shortcomings, didn't he say something similar about economics?

 

He said something about not being too smart when it comes to economics, then denied saying it on television.

We get it, math. He's old! :lol:

 

 

Yeah, and maybe it's just one of those generational things. If I agreed to pay dad 10 grand to learn how to operate a computer, he would tell me to buzz off. It's probably nothing to worry about, especially since McCain's young wife seems to be pretty good with the modern conveniences. Again, I didn't mean this to be a slap at the old man, just wondering what everyone thought.

 

I think I heard Larry "Methuseleh" King say a while back that he knew absolutely nothing about computers or other technology.

Edited June 26, 200818 yr by the mathemagician

Yeah, and maybe it's just one of those generational things. If I agreed to pay dad 10 grand to learn how to operate a computer, he would tell me to buzz off. It's probably nothing to worry about, especially since his young wife seems to be pretty good with the modern conveniences. Again, I didn't mean this to be a slap at the old man, just wondering what everyone thought.

 

I think I heard Larry "Methuseleh" King say a while back that he knew absolutely nothing about computers or other technology.

:lol:

If anything, it makes me like him more. Computers and the internet have destroyed independent thinking, personal correspondence, and for many, the ability to interact face-to-face with others. In many respects, technology is the bane of our existence. I'd bet McCain knows how to initiate social conversation and to pen personal correspondence, and I think those are valuable diplomacy and protocol tools.

If anything, it makes me like him more. Computers and the internet have destroyed independent thinking, personal correspondence, and for many, the ability to interact face-to-face with others. In many respects, technology is the bane of our existence. I'd bet McCain knows how to initiate social conversation and to pen personal correspondence, and I think those are valuable diplomacy and protocol tools.

 

I disagree with most of that.

If anything, it makes me like him more. Computers and the internet have destroyed independent thinking, personal correspondence, and for many, the ability to interact face-to-face with others. In many respects, technology is the bane of our existence. I'd bet McCain knows how to initiate social conversation and to pen personal correspondence, and I think those are valuable diplomacy and protocol tools.

 

 

I agree with much of that. There are probably a lot of kids in grade school that can do far more on the computer than I can. I worry, though, that those same kids might not be able to write a decent paragraph or do the most fundamental mathematical calculations.

Still, I think maybe a presidential candidate should know more about technology than the average fifth grader. As one old woman said in the story I saw on TV, it's kind of embarrassing that a potential president may not even know how to google something.

I don't see any problem with it.

I'll just be glad to have a President who is literate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll just be glad to have a President who is literate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OMG... no kidding. McCain is like Plato and Socrates combined, compared to... well, you know.

I would much prefer a non-computer literate president to one who would claim to have invented the computer. Honestly, if a candidate claims to be proficient at something, why should we believe him?

I hear Barack is never without his Blackberry and takes his laptop with him wherever he goes. Smart, young,energetic, dripping with charisma, and technologically relevant... is it any wonder this guy has the country abuzz with excitement and hope!!!

Unless the President is now writing code that controls the launch of the nuclear weapons, I'm OK with him not being able to access BGP.