New Hampshire voters: Net neutrality? Huh?

NASHUA, N.H.--New Hampshire residents are famously described as "gritty," "flinty," and, in a nod to last week's sub-zero temperatures here, "hardy."

Voters here are famously not described as tech-savvy. To be precise, they are famously not described as especially concerned with topics like Net neutrality and intellectual property rights that you, our dear readers, are.

At least that was our suspicion. In the last few days before Tuesday's primary, we set out to test that hypothesis by stopping New Hampshire-inians on the street and asking them questions about technology laws and regulation.

Mark Cancelada of Portsmouth, N.H.: John Edwards supporter who now has an e-mail address

(Credit: Declan McCullagh/News.com)

We weren't disappointed. Nor, we're happy to report, did we get punched in the face for bothering those gritty, flinty, and hardy residents with questions about Net neutrality. What we did learn is that Granite State voters are not exactly preoccupied with political skirmishes over rewriting patent law, increasing H-1B visas, and, of course, the throughly pressing concern of broadband regulation.

"That means nothing to me," Mark Cancelada, 42, of Portsmouth, N.H., said when asked about Net neutrality, shortly after an early-morning John Edwards rally ended Saturday in the center of this quaint city of about 20,000 residents.

For Cancelada, what actually matters are what he calls "hot button" issues like health care, education and jobs. Even the obscure topic of prison reform is far more pressing to him than, say, worrying about Web sites being blocked by AT&T.

"Technology," shrugged the self-described Luddite, who admitted to obtaining an e-mail address only a year ago. "It's something I don't think much about."

Kayleen Stowell: Never heard of Net neutrality

(Credit: Anne Broache/CNET News.com)

It also didn't matter much to Kayleen Stowell, 66, a Mitt Romney devotee who's made phone calls for the candidate and who has attended nearly all of his New Hampshire events.

"I think the Internet targets all the young people, but I think it leaves out the older people who don't even have a computer," the retired trucking company employee from Londonderry, N.H., said as she awaited Romney's approach at a breakfast meeting at Mary Ann's diner in Derry, N.H., on the eve of Tuesday's primary election.

Stowell did say she believes the Feds "absolutely" should find a way to keep Internet porn from children.

At a booth across the chrome-accented restaurant, Kelly Parsons, 32, cradled her infant son, Christian, and admitted she'd never heard of Net neutrality either. Parsons professed to be reasonably tech-savvy but said technology policy issues had nothing to do with her decision to support Mitt Romney. Illegal immigration and terrorism were among her top concerns for the next president to confront.

Kelly Parsons: Worried about illegal immigration and terrorism

(Credit: Anne Broache/CNET News.com)

"He (Romney) has the resolve to deal with people who necessarily don't like us," she said as a waitress dropped off the check for breakfast with her two young children. "He cares about America, has values, has a family he loves."

Outside a Starbucks in Portsmouth, N.H., Ted Jankowski, 55, said he'd thrown his support behind Edwards because of the candidate's "detailed plan" for the future, not because of Net neutrality.

We found some outliers who do spend (at least some of) their evenings blogging about the arcana of copyright legislation and the Real ID Act.

Seth Cohn of Canterbury, N.H.: Ron Paul supporter deeply concerned with digital rights management legislation

(Credit: Declan McCullagh/News.com)

One is Seth Cohn, 37, who recently moved to Canterbury, N.H. We caught up to him after a Ron Paul speech in Nashua, where he volunteered that Internet and technology policy issues are "really important" in his choice for the next president. "Net neutrality is almost certainly going to continue to be an issue," said Cohn, a Web developer who's been online for well over a decade and even has a Usenet newsgroup devoted to him (yes, it's alt.fan.seth-cohn).

"It's all part of a bigger picture for me," he added. "If they're going to regulate the Internet, they're going to take over free speech." Also high on his list of priority issues is how to handle copyright and digital rights management technology.

We offered to send him a link to this article when it's published, but Cohn said not to worry: he has his own Google News alert set up for precisely this kind of situation. They don't call Ron Paul the Internet's favorite candidate for nothing.

CNET News.com's Declan McCullagh contributed to this report

[seo2seo]

Democratic Tragedy

From across the pond, the Democrats' selection looks like you are choosing between racism and sexism; and it looks like misogyny will win.

I'm saying nothing about the strengths and weaknesses of individual candidates, because (a) I don't know and (b) as a Brit, it's none of my business. But it looks as if US party faithful have lost the plot.

This will, of course, guarantee victory in the *real* contest to the Republicans, whoever they choose.

I have not read one single discussion that actually looks in depth at the candidate's abilities to lead the the powerful nation the world has ever know, except for a few vague references to 'experience' and 'lack of experience'.

No wonder people don't bother to vote!

And no, I'm not claiming the UK system is any better. It's probably much worse.

Anyone care to tell me there's meaningful debate going on? Somewhere?

[SeizeCTRL]

Lesser of the two evils...

That's what it's been about the last few elections... we have crap for candidates with the exception of Ron Paul :D

What chaps my ass is how they bring religion into it.

It scares me that Huckabee might get elected... I thought it was bad enough having one a religious nut bag in office, but Huckabee will take that to a whole new level... have we not learned anything from Iran or Afghanistan??? Religious Extremists do not belong in office!!!

So we have a Mormon running, and a bunch of Christians are going to be leery of voting for a Mormon because after all, they are just crazy right?

Then we have this black guy that is supposedly a Muslim even though he says he goes to church... we can't vote for him now... a black Muslim that spent part of his life living in the middle east or something... no no no!

A woman? ***! Isn't she supposed to be cooking dinner for her husband in the white house or making babies??? She's not supposed to be the one in charge? That will never work... with the exception of all the other countries that have already had women as leaders ;)

So really what we have to do is pick the person who flip flops the less, doesn't double talk as much as the next guy and might actually stand up and accomplish at least one campaign promise.

2 party politics will be the death of this country!!! We need change now!!!

[Razzl]

Do you need to be spoon-fed?

Listen man, you can log in to any news web site covering American elections--like cbsnews.com or cnn.com or even the BBC--to get detailed analysis of the American candidates and what they're saying. You of all people should know that the web gives you what you put into it. Your Winston Churchill said that democracy is a system of government where the people get exactly the kind of leadership they deserve, and you're not going to get much if you don't put in a little more effort...

[Voodoo101]

Democratic Tragedy

O.K.....here goes. As a black, catholic, hetero male who's a retired, diabled vet (U.S. Army 22 yrs)......I'm distressed, disenfranchised and more than slightly disturbed by my fellow countrymen. I find humor in the fact that a Brit can make a point like that more honestly than most Americans and be dead on.

The reality of the article, however, is that in our wonderful, "technologically advanced" country that the issues of: 1) access to technology 2) participation in the creative and manufacturing processes and 3) the creation of a sustainable technology base all manage to be overshadowed by the petty, trivialities of partisan politics.

No, seo2seo....there is no meaningful debate. There are precious few signs of intelligent life and God (whichever one you believe in) help me....there's nothing more important in America right now than money. The sad part is that there are so many dire issues. Nobody is willing to create viable, lasting solutions and the public is so fatigued that it's unlikely anything will actually change.

[KC Cowan]

Tech savy region of NH

I live in the greater Nashua area and I'd certainly describe it as tech savy, in an East Coast way. Many of my friends and neighbors moved here in the 80's to work for DEC, Wang, Prime and others, and are now spread out at high-tech companies across the metro Boston area.

I work in high-tech and understand the net neutrality and the H1-B visa issues, but I fail see why they should be my top issues. The issues facing the country are larger than that and so, like other tech-savy voters here, I put healthcare, education and ending the war higher on my list.

To the reader in the UK, NH has a tradition referred to as "retail politics". Many of us meet the candidates in person to hear their views and/or will meet with campaign volunteers in a small group setting. For example, I had lunch one day with a staffer from one campaign and, this past weekend, attended a rally to hear a candidate directly. We also get lots and lots of background information from the local print newspaper. Not sure either of those aspects translate well if all you catch is CNN or news on the net.

KC

[good_nicks_taken]

H1B

I think you will find, in the vacation areas of NH, they are very concerned with visas, although they might not be H1B, there is a need in places like that where there are very few locals living year round to work in restaurants that they have to import workers for the few month long summer season when the restaurants are open.

[Dave_Newton]

Thanks.

Thanks for putting tech issues in perspective. One could get the impression, reading CNet and other publications, that broadband, DRM and Net Neutrality are our country's highest priorities. I would say New Hampshire, far from being a Luddite backwater, as you infer, is representative of humankind.

[fgoldstein]

Specialty issue

Many issues have relatively specialized audiences, but are still important. Do you ask a fisherman about ethanol subsidies, or a nurse about textile import quotas? Do you ask a textile worker about Java vs. ActiveX? The article is frankly stupid hack-journalism, asking j-random people about a topic most would have no familiarity with. That doesn't make the topic unimportant.

[The_Decider]

Meaningful debate?

Who has time for that when it is easier to win by vilifying your opponent and scaring the masses?

It has been decades since a national election has produced anything remotely resembling meaningful debate.

[tomagni]

I am realizing this article. The peoples are voting for person depends upon the neutrality. It is much different. The peoples are well talented to select them. It is really good. The technology are used in this article will give more information for us.

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tom2000
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