Last week Hillary Clinton presented at Microsoft to a sold out crowd of roughly 2,000 people. Jennifer Hamilton attended and sent her notes my way.
–jrh
o About 2000 people
o Speech similar to one given on Monday night with a bit more a technology focus
· US has always been the “Innovation Nation”–a hallmark of how country was founded and has grown
· Can’t assume it will stay that way–have to ask the hard questions and build
· Don’t think we’re doing a good job–want to seize the mantle of innovation
· Important not just for our industry but for the country
· Innovation has fueled the opportunities of those born here and those who came here
o 4 big goals:
1. Restore American leadership in the world
2. Rebuild a strong and prosperous middle class
3. Reform government to competence and more results-oriented
4. Reclaim the future for our children and our dreams
o For each of the four goals, she has set specific goals for what she would do as president
o Spoke of Sputnik being a defining moment in her childhood
· At that time America was the leader in everything
· Then Sputnik and called into question
· Had a republican pres that didn’t blame the dems but went after the problem
· Wants to do that same sort of thing
1. Restore American leadership in the world
· Partly its Iraq but this not the only international problem the next president will inherit
· Our strategic/economic/innovation position eroding — Clinton will restore the bi-partisan balance on end an era of “cowboy diplomacy”
· Can’t be a leader if no-one is following
o All the problems we have, global-warming, g-terrorism, g-economics, we can’t solve on our own
2. Rebuild a strong and prosperous middle class
· Economy has worked well for some of us, but hasn’t for many.
· People struggling to maintain middle-class lifestyle.
· Feel invisible to their government.
· Feel their standing on trap-door–one misstep from disaster
· Environmental a big part: we import more foreign oil post-9/11 than before
· Take away tax-subsidy from oil companies to put towards alternative energies
· Health-care (joked it’s an issue she has a “little experience in”)–need a system of shared responsibility and choices
o Insurance companies will have to change–she’s offering them a new business model–they’ve made a lot of money not insuring people
· 50B spent in underwriting to avoid coverage plus more unproductive costs arguing on coverage
· Big push towards electronic records for medical records
· One of big problems in Katrina is how many records were lost
· Wants to create a framework to give us private, confidential, secure electronic records
o Also need to pay for prevention–insurance companies won’t
o And manage chronic conditions
o All added up will reduce costs and cover everyone
· Improve education–it hasn’t advanced either
o Need to make college affordable and offer cheaper loans
o Harder to go to university than 30 yrs ago
o 75% of students are from top 25% of income
o Only 3% from bottom 25%
3. Reform government to competence and to be results-oriented
· We have been building a two-tier system
· Tax system tilted towards top income
· US was #1 for internet access 6 yrs ago–now 14th-25th depending on survey
· Got to end Bush’s muzzling of science
o As president first thing will do is issue executive order to not interfere with science and lift the ban on ethical stem-cell research
· End cronyism and appoint qualified people–re Katrina
4. Reclaim the future for our children and our dreams
· Don’t want to be part of 1st gen of Americans who leave their country worse than when they found it.
· Thrilled at idea of being first women president, but not running because is female. She is running because she feels she is the best-qualified
· Not interested in all the personal attacks–am an expert on it –have been recipient for over 15 yrs–that won’t educate a child
· Wants people to think that our best years are still ahead of us
James Hamilton, Windows Live Platform Services
Bldg RedW-C/1279, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington, 98052
W:+1(425)703-9972 | C:+1(206)910-4692 | H:+1(206)201-1859 | JamesRH@microsoft.com
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