“The closest public sector role that many CEOs see as similar to theirs is a big city mayor, because you can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk,” Guardino said. “You’re close to your constituents. You are accountable to your constituents. And you can’t afford to be too ideological because you have to make the math work to run your city.”
Steve Spinner, a veteran Silicon Valley angel investor and a major Democratic bundler who founded Entrepreneurs for Obama in 2007 and Tech for Obama in 2011, has been supporting Bloomberg since early January.
“Bloomberg is very, very respected in Silicon Valley,’’ Spinner said in an interview. “People just want someone who can take it to Trump, who understands business and tech — and has the proven experience of governing a big city or state. That’s Bloomberg.”
Their support for the billionaire businessman comes as self-described Democratic socialist Sanders has shaken the Democratic party establishment by emerging from the nation’s first three primary contests as a definitive frontrunner.
Concern over Sanders’ rhetoric has been especially troubling to the tech industry’s biggest companies. He’s railed against large corporations for their influence on Washington policymaking and role in exacerbating income inequality — criticisms for which the tech industry has become a poster child.
Sanders has specifically targeted the tech industry players over taxes, labor practices, market influence and more. In July, Sanders said he would “absolutely” attempt to break up Google, Facebook and Amazon if elected president — echoing a pledge first made by Warren.
“When you have folks, whether they’re self described as a socialist or progressive or liberal, talking about penalizing companies for having the audacity of being successful, that doesn’t resonate here,” Guardino said. “It may be good press, but it’s not leading to progress for American workers or American innovation.”
But not all in the Valley agree.
California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, whose South Bay House district contains the headquarters for major industry players like Google, Apple, Facebook and Tesla, serves as Sanders’ presidential campaign co-chair.
The two-term congressman has stumped for Sanders in California and around the country, and says that while C-suite executives may favor Bloomberg, many employees on the front lines at Google, Apple and Facebook support the progressive agenda that Sanders and Warren have laid out during the campaign. Center for Responsive Politics data show that of all the presidential hopefuls, Sanders and Warren have been the leaders by far in raising money from employees in the internet industry through January.
And it’s “not just the bus drivers or the food service workers or the security guards, but the mid-level and entry level programmers and engineers” who see Sanders’ agenda as one that can provide access to their future opportunities, Khanna argues.
“His core message resonates in the Valley — that the investments in human capital, extending health care to all and education to all, are actually pro-competitive,’’ Khanna said. “When we provide people with health care and good wages, we make it more possible for them to be entrepreneurial, productive workers and we make economic growth more possible.”
Source: politico.com
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