By Steve Case, Washington Post
Steve Case, a co-founder of America Online, is chairman and chief executive of Revolution and author of “The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future.”
I’ve been involved in policy for three decades, since AOL played a pivotal role in getting the nation online in the early days of the Internet. Initially, my focus was on commercializing the Internet, expanding access and putting appropriate rules of the road in place. In the past decade, my focus shifted to encouraging pro-growth policies that foster innovation, generate jobs, help start-ups and create opportunity. I was proud to work with a Democratic president and a Republican House to help get the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act passed four years ago, and I have spent countless hours meeting with members of both parties on immigration reform, patent reform and pro-start-up economic ideas.
Despite my active engagement on policy, however, I’ve tried to steer clear of politics. I’ve avoided endorsing candidates or making big contributions to campaigns. I’ve wanted to be nonpartisan, able to work with people on both sides of the aisle. Indeed, I’ve been troubled by the hyper-partisanship that has defined our politics of late, and by the resulting gridlock that has set in. The United States faces many challenges, but in my view our greatest threat may not be external forces but rather our inability to work together to move our country forward.
So my inclination is to continue to stay out of politics and continue to quietly build working relationships with both Republicans and Democrats. I’d prefer to be positioned as a builder of bridges and consensus.
But I’ve decided to make an exception this election. I have concluded that I cannot sit on the sidelines this year. At this pivotal time, the choice is too important.
I’ve decided to back Hillary Clinton for president for four reasons.
First, I think she’d be better for our economy, especially with respect to innovative technology and start-ups. Donald Trump knows business, but his campaign has been backward-looking on the economy and oddly absent of ideas to spur creation of the jobs of the future. Clinton understands what we need to help start businesses and will invest in education, advanced manufacturing and basic research. She’s not promising a return to a bygone era — she’s focused on making our economy strong for our children and their children. These forward-leaning policies are essential to ensure continued U.S. economic leadership.
Second, Clinton is right on immigration. To win in the global economy, our country must win the global battle for talent. Immigrants don’t take U.S. jobs; they create them. More than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants or their children: Think how many fewer jobs we’d have in the United States if these entrepreneurs and their parents had been kept out by a wall. Trump’s harsh policies will cost us jobs, and his even harsher rhetoric will chase away immigrant families whose children could grow up to be the next Steve Jobs (whose father was a Syrian refugee) or Sergey Brin (an immigrant himself).
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There are three things on my stole that have a great significance in my life. First, my degree. I am a first generation college student and obtaining my bachelors degree in criminology has not only been a huge accomplishment of mine, but my family's as well. Our Kappa Delta Chi letters and shield are what makes up most of my stole. Finding a group of women on a large campus that have the same goals and values as I do made my college experience that much better. KDChi has given me sisters that I can always rely on and a sisterhood that has brought so much joy and happiness into my life. Lastly,
the position I held for a year and a half my last few semesters of undergrad. If you would've told me my freshman year that I would be president of an organization, I would've thought that would never happen. I joined KDChi as a freshman and my passion for the organization started then. Being president of KDChi has taught me so many lessons that I have taken with me into my "adult life". Being president taught me to have patience, always listen to what others has to say, be there for others when they need you, give words of encouragement, and set an example for those that are younger. These three symbols on my stole will forever be cherished.
Hannah Valdez
Florida State University - Alpha Sigma
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Steve Case: Why I’m voting for
Hillary Clinton
Below is an article from the Washington Post on why Steve Case is voting for Hillary Clinton. To read the complete article go to TheWashintonPost.com