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Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

sfchronicle.com

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Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#11

Post by Lordarminius »

CalChris wrote: post #6
Animats wrote: post #4

Willie Brown is still a kingmaker? He's 83 and hasn't held office since 2004.

Brown still basically runs San Francisco. He certainly ran it when Rose Pak was still alive and Ed Lee is definitely his guy. Outside of SF he's certainly knowledgable but I doubt he has any pull in Sacto. Not with Jerry, not with Gavin. Kingmaker, no. And Brown is definitely not a kingmaker if you want to run statewide. I doubt he has any pull in LA or the Central Valley. Any at all. Frankly, this bores me. If Altma…

> At 32, I don't count a social networking startup and an incubator for much of a resume especially with respect to running the government of the 6th largest economy in the world.

I came here to say the same thing. I am not American but politics is pretty much the same all over the world nowadays.

Effective leadership in political positions demands specialized knowledge and skills developed over long periods of time. This is so often ignored. Socio-economic problems do not succumb to neat textbook solutions. The real world is messy

To add to my previous points.

Many people labor under the misconception that solutions are lacking to many problems they face in their communities and the job of the politician is to magically conjure them. This is false.

There are some issues with no clear way to solve them but these are the minority. For the vast majority of problems(think teacher shortages, healthcare costs, pollution, government corruption etc) solutions exist: it is the political will and organization to implement them that is lacking.

Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#12

Post by jacques_chester »

I was under the impression, based on the original submission, that this was based on running as an independent. About which I'm skeptical.

There's a reason that rich folk who get elected are nominated by a major party.

It's because in a voluntary voting system, a large "Get Out The Vote" machine is necessary, even though it's not sufficient.

You don't get that machine with machine learning. You get it with thousands of organised volunteers managed by experienced party hacks.

Afterwards, having seen where the money goes, I suspect Sam will decide to invest in political consultancies.

(Copied here and modified since this submission has replaced the other submission)

Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#13

Post by Apocryphon »

CalChris wrote: post #6
Animats wrote: post #4

Willie Brown is still a kingmaker? He's 83 and hasn't held office since 2004.

Brown still basically runs San Francisco. He certainly ran it when Rose Pak was still alive and Ed Lee is definitely his guy. Outside of SF he's certainly knowledgable but I doubt he has any pull in Sacto. Not with Jerry, not with Gavin. Kingmaker, no. And Brown is definitely not a kingmaker if you want to run statewide. I doubt he has any pull in LA or the Central Valley. Any at all. Frankly, this bores me. If Altma…

I was going to say, Altman should wait a few years and run for mayor of SF.

Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#14

Post by rdl »

I'd be sad to lose him from YC, although he would probably do enough good for the state overall to make up for it.

If he were at all effective, I'd consider ending my California boycott. I'm concerned that unless the rest of state government is fixed, including Prop 13 and the voter initiative system in general, California is just too fucked to be fixed even by a great Governor, though.

Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#15

Post by Xcelerate »

CalChris wrote: post #6
Animats wrote: post #4

Willie Brown is still a kingmaker? He's 83 and hasn't held office since 2004.

Brown still basically runs San Francisco. He certainly ran it when Rose Pak was still alive and Ed Lee is definitely his guy. Outside of SF he's certainly knowledgable but I doubt he has any pull in Sacto. Not with Jerry, not with Gavin. Kingmaker, no. And Brown is definitely not a kingmaker if you want to run statewide. I doubt he has any pull in LA or the Central Valley. Any at all. Frankly, this bores me. If Altma…

> At 32, I don't count a social networking startup and an incubator for much of a resume especially with respect to running the government of the 6th largest economy in the world.

At the rate things are currently going, I'd be happy with someone having that kind of résumé for president.

Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#16

Post by jacques_chester »

Lordarminius wrote: post #11
CalChris wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brown still basically runs San Francisco. He certainly ran it when Rose Pak was still alive and Ed Lee is definitely his guy. Outside of SF he's certainly knowledgable but I doubt he has any pull in Sacto. Not with Jerry, not with Gavin. Kingmaker, no. And Brown is definitely not a kingmaker if you want to run statewide. I doubt he has any pull in LA or the Central Valley. Any at all. Frankly, this bores me. If Altma…

> At 32, I don't count a social networking startup and an incubator for much of a resume especially with respect to running the government of the 6th largest economy in the world. I came here to say the same thing. I am not American but politics is pretty much the same all over the world nowadays. Effective leadership in political positions demands specialized knowledge and skills developed over long periods of time.…

It is typical in these situations to cast the establishment as a stuffy force for evil, a damp quilt blanket that muffles exciting possibilities.

And sometimes it is. Sometimes seniority beats sanity, sometimes self-interest beats public interest.

But, taking the view from the other side, the establishment sees an endless parade of bold, brilliant, I'm-the-exception types running up to knock it down. In such a position they might be forgiven, after the dozenth encounter with yet another visionary, for rolling their eyes.

And I imagine that the California establishment has seen one or two techno-utopians by now.

Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#17

Post by idlewords »

rdl wrote: post #14

I'd be sad to lose him from YC, although he would probably do enough good for the state overall to make up for it. If he were at all effective, I'd consider ending my California boycott. I'm concerned that unless the rest of state government is fixed, including Prop 13 and the voter initiative system in general, California is just too fucked to be fixed even by a great Governor, though.

The governor is not a proconsul. To be effective, they have to work with the state legislature.

Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#18

Post by rdl »

idlewords wrote: post #17
rdl wrote: post #14

I'd be sad to lose him from YC, although he would probably do enough good for the state overall to make up for it. If he were at all effective, I'd consider ending my California boycott. I'm concerned that unless the rest of state government is fixed, including Prop 13 and the voter initiative system in general, California is just too fucked to be fixed even by a great Governor, though.

The governor is not a proconsul. To be effective, they have to work with the state legislature.

In California you could probably have a popular governor who appealed directly to the people (abusing the initiative system), even with a mostly-dysfunctional legislature.

Re: Sam Altman Considering Run for CA Governor

#19

Post by CalChris »

jacques_chester wrote: post #16
Lordarminius wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> At 32, I don't count a social networking startup and an incubator for much of a resume especially with respect to running the government of the 6th largest economy in the world. I came here to say the same thing. I am not American but politics is pretty much the same all over the world nowadays. Effective leadership in political positions demands specialized knowledge and skills developed over long periods of time.…

It is typical in these situations to cast the establishment as a stuffy force for evil, a damp quilt blanket that muffles exciting possibilities. And sometimes it is. Sometimes seniority beats sanity, sometimes self-interest beats public interest. But, taking the view from the other side, the establishment sees an endless parade of bold, brilliant, I'm-the-exception types running up to knock it down. In such a positi…

Yes, but we've also seen more than our share of entertain-opians. Other than being able to open at the box office they brought no ability to a hard problem.
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