John McCain cannot use a PC or a MAC - Should he be President?

I don't believe that the president needs to be internet or even computer savy to be a successful president.

To me, this statement reminds me of people that said they didn't want Hillary as president because of how she handled Bill's cheating on her.

The two just don't have anything to do with each other.

The president doesn't have to use a computer, that is why he has a staff. There are SEVERAL million people in this country that don't know how to use a computer and have no desire to. SUCCESSFUL people included.

I know several 20 somethings that don't know how to use a card catalogue at a library but they aren't stupid, illiterate, incompetant or incapable of handling their jobs, they just choose to do things differently.

Look at it this way, if the electronic world collapses, you will still have some people that know how to do things by hand. It's that type I want to put my faith in.

Cheri - You are one of those who absolutely missed the point.  As we've all said, McCain doesn't *have* to know how to use a computer to be President.  However, the chances of him continuing to advance our country would be greatly enhanced if he understood the underpinings of this type of technology.

And your example is backwards.....I see McCain as the guy who DOES know how to use a card catalogue at the library.  The problem with that is that I don't know the last time I saw a card catalogue, maybe it was in the stacks of Alderman library back in college. Dunno.  Half of of the 20 somethings I know probably don't even know what a card catalog is.  Everything is computerized now, I even renew books from home.  So although McCain is not stupid or illiterate, he will walk into the library looking for the little drawers full of cards......

Computer skills are very important in this fast paced world. Whoever gets the nod for President will have more then anough people to do what needs to be done. There are greater issues facing this country than that. I'm one for delegation. I don't have to be the brightest just smart enough to know who is.

Robert - I think you've also missed the essence of this Blog.

Yeah, he sure has.

According to the Borowitz Report McCain made his first visit to the Internet and will visit Key Sites for the  next 5 Days. 

http://www.borowitzreport.com/default.asp

I wonder if he'll step up to Betamax....

Robert Brown

Don't worry .  I know lots of agents who can burn up a keyboard a day, wear out a blackberry a week, walk around with a bluetooth hanging on their ear, and have two types of GPS units in their cars.  But they still can't sell a thing.  Then there's the guy that has a 4 year old version of Windows on a 5 year old PC, pecks when he types, has a 4 year old cell phone, takes home 150k a year, by simply knowing how to speak with people in a convincing and professional manner.

Yes...   I agree The President needs to learn how to run a computer, but in the great scheme of things  when it comes down to being presidential I feel honesty, sincerity, courage,experience, maturity, and  perseverance trump  pretty, techie, charming and talkative any day of the week. This isn't a high school beauty pagent, even though the press has turned it into one on purpose.  

Stewart,

That was exactly my point. Just having tecnical tool expertise and looking pretty isn't enough either.

Just my view.

This issue isn't merely about technical capabilities.

Knowledge of the Web and how the Internet functions has become a political football in Washington lately.  Read the Save the Internet Blog here and learn why.

The FCC (appointed by the President) recently took historic action to stop Comcast and other enormous telco companies from selectively blocking internet access to consumers.  This action was hotly debated in Congress, mostly along party lines.  GOP candidates have received a significantly  higher share of lobbying money from mega-companies like Verizon, Comcast and ATT this year, with lobbyists trying desperately to scuttle the Net Neutrality movement.

McCain may not have much of a grasp of this issue either if he is not an Internet user.  And his party (the Republicans) has been courted heavily by companies that wish to control the Internet.  Bloggers and other Web users should be paying close attention to this issue, if they're not aware already. 

Maybe he had a 'Neural Surge' that's slightly affected his thoughts.....

Interestingly enough, CNN's Jack Cafferty today posed the question: Important for president to be computer literate?