Election '08: Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley

By Tom Tapp

Quien es mas macho: Silicon Valley or Hollywood?

Spot-on.com founder Chris Nolan (not that one) today examines the competition for preeminence in "California, the KwikeeMarket Kash machine of American politics."

According to figures posted by the Los Angeles Times, Californians donated $502 million to federal candidates and national political parties from 2003-2006. Of the top 50 donors in the state, seven were in entertainment, while eight were from the technology sector.

Nolan:

Every four years, those of us who love political theater get to watch our economic betters fawn and be fawned over by the folks who want to hold the highest political office in the land. If it were a movie, this would be the trailer: Running for national political office? Well then, come out to the Golden State! Enjoy the weather! Punch in a few code words and, like magic, a billionaire with time on his hands will spit money out at you!

This used to be a strictly Hollywood sport. You know, Barbra Streisand, Patricia Duff and the Hollywood Women's Political Caucus, Ronald Reagan and Alfred Blomingdale (sic). But once President Bill Clinton started dropping by venture capitalist John Doerr's Woodside manse, Silicon Valley's collective geek head got completely turned. Things haven't been the same since.

What you have now, implies Nolan, are twin towers of wealth competing for preeminence and influence.

It would seem the real winners are the politicians. They now have two fly-by clusters of 10-digit donors in the state. And given The Associated Press put the cost of the 2008 race at $500 million per nominee, they'll need them.

Then again, there are drawbacks to having billionaires vying for your attention.

According to The New York Times, much of David Geffen's animosity towards the Hilary Clinton campaign is motivated by jealousy because his old friend Bill Clinton now prefers the company of supermarket billionaire Ron Burkle. Now picture the same contretemps, only this time with someone like Steve Jobs opposite Geffen.

That's a feud.