Most Democratic Presidential Candidates Prefer PCs (Updated With Transcript)

by , 9:30 AM EST, November 5th, 2003

Boxers or briefs? Inhale or eschew? Gays in the military? The hot topic of last night's debate between Democratic presidential hopefuls wasn't any of these (neo) traditional topics, but rather "Mac or PC?" Candidates were asked this most important of questions during the Rock the Vote/CNN debate last night. The answer for most of the candidates, according to a CNN article, was "PC." Rock the Vote is an organization whose aim is to get young people involved in politics, which may explain how the "Mac or PC?" question came to be asked. From CNN:

With a year to go to the 2004 general elections, Democratic presidential nomination candidates faced young voters Tuesday night during a 90-minute forum aired live and sponsored by CNN and Rock the Vote at historic Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.

Early on, the forum provided light moments when the audience learned that most of the presidential candidates prefer PCs over Macintosh computers and that Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts would have taken out his tiring pitcher if he had been manager of the Boston Red Sox in Game Seven of the American League Championship series.

Unfortunately, the article doesn't offer any specifics on what the individual candidates said. Any Observers who tuned into the debate are encouraged to fill us in on any details. For those keeping score at home, current president George W. Bush is said to be a Mac user.

You can find more (non-technology-related) information in the full article.

[Update: Observer Jeff Bentley wrote in with link to a transcript of last night's debate, where we got the following:

COOPER: Congressman Kucinich, Mac or PCs?

MOSELEY BRAUN: Macs or PCs? I'll answer.

I like them--my son has a Mac, he loves it. I use a PC.

COOPER: The question was actually to all of you.

So, Governor Dean, Mac or PC?

DEAN: PC. PC.

LIEBERMAN: Hand-held wireless. That's what I have.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: Somehow I knew you were going to say that.

SHARPTON: Mac.

KUCINICH: PC.

(APPLAUSE)

SHARPTON: A politically correct Mac.

KUCINICH: PC.

COOPER: All right. Let's go for the next question.

You can find the full transcript at the Washington Post's Web site. Thanks to Jeff for sending in the link, as well as "me," who posted this info in the comments below. - Editor]

The Mac Observer Spin:

Mac or PC? We'd bet good money that the person who asked the question was a Mac user, but we missed this particular debate. Still, it's interesting that the subject came up; the Platform Wars (such as they are these days) have crossed from the geek world into mainstream politics, at least peripherally. It's just too bad that "most" of the candidates gave the "wrong" answer. :-)

CNN Article