Does Computer Illiteracy Disqualify McCain?

If you don’t use a computer, should you run the country? That’s one of the questions we’re discussing here in New York City at the Personal Democracy Forum, a gathering of political bloggers and online types of all stripes.

At a panel of Internet reps from the Clinton, Edwards, McCain, Obama, Paul, and Romney campaigns, Tracy Russo from the Edwards campaign argued that that any candidate who doesn’t use a computer has no business being president. (McCain has stated he doesn’t use a computer.)

John McCain’s representative, Mark Soohoo, came to McCain’s defense: “You don’t need to use a computer to understand how it shapes the country.”

“But what about the frame of reference that comes from using online tools?” Russo asked. The Internet is powering the global economy, she said. “It’s like explaining e-mail, Facebook, Google, Twitter . . . to your grandmother and then asking them to apply that to governing.”

Snap! Russo’s remarks were met with applause and boos. The debate goes on.