On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, I decided to do some quick research on the two mainstream candidate’s websites, Barack Obama and John McCain (apologies to any Bob Barr or Ralph Nader supporters), to see what they have said about nanotechnology. The results are after the jump.
First, my disclaimer: this research is simply me looking for statements on nanotechnology on the candidates websites. If someone knows about more specific statements, please post them in the comments section. Now, my results:
John McCain’s website does not contain any page with the word "nanotechnology" in it. Senator McCain’s website has a search function at the bottom, and searing for "nanotechnology" turned up zero results.
Barack Obama’s website has a list of the Senator’s comments with regards to nanotechnology, including a specific statement about the sector’s role in creating jobs (see the bullet on 21st century education). In addition, Senator Obama has a group on his website specifically for those interested in nanotechnology issues. Finally, the Senator’s staff blogged about his involvement with the NNI renewal legislation, and referred to it as "very important."
From my perspective, Senator Obama is paying greater attention to the issues surrounding nanotechnology regulation than is Senator McCain. While I am sure both candidates will discuss the issues more as the campaigns accelerate, Senator Obama seems to be out in front on the issue thus far.
