#wa03 — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

David @[email protected] · 2026-08-08 · 17:29 UTC

RE: https://xoxo.zone/@davidcelis/117054792127968357

I seriously suspect certain #Democrats could gain a lot of support from demographics that have a disproportionate share of otherwise Republican-voting or non-voting people by committing to using all legal and budgetary tools of state power to restore the supply and reduce the price of PC and laptop DRAM (and SSDs too) for individuals and for organizations other than the hyper-scalers.

Potential policy actions include using (perhaps after amending) the CHIPS and Science Act, using the Defence Production Act, starting and funding FTC and antitrust investigations, and even creating a state corporation to build a chip fab specifically for RAM and SSDs in standard PC and laptop forms.

I could see Rep. #AOC and Sen. Elizabeth Warren successfully using this to direct attention and votes away from Republicans, even well outside #NY14 and #MA (respectively). A couple others who would be credible to advocate the federal government intervene to redirect semiconductor supply away from enterprise AI (HBM) and back toward general computing (DRAM) could include Joyner Kiros (already opposed to AI data center construction), and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (already opposed by the entire oligarchy; he could address semiconductor hoarding both as part of his populist economic messaging and as part of the cost, through hospital hardware prices, of healthcare).

Combining and connecting RAM & SSDs with related issues of #rightToRepair, #rightToOwn, #privacy, land, water, electricity, pollution, noise, underhanded municipal interference, creative and intellectual labor theft, and opposition to the AI, cryptocurrency (in fewer places), and #surveillance (in more places) industries, several Democratic candidates could make headway with a demographic of voters who usually lean highly libertarian or politically disaffected—voters who heavily favored Republicans in 2024 due to Elon Musk’s aggressive anti-establishment electioneering (which they now realize was disingenuous). Right now, most of that base is feeling betrayed and irate, as the hyper-scalers are interfering with their passions, their property, their jobs, and their businesses.

Places which could be swung with such an expanded hardware-focused platform, where parts availability and affordability is addressed as part of R2R, may include #TX10 (home to a lot of tech manufacturing and a large population of hardware engineers and technicians who despise corporate anti-repair, including #LouisRossmann himself), and perhaps #NC13 (where a candidate would need to focus specifically on hardware price-gouging and the right to repair as matters of autonomy, while avoiding anything too "over-regulation" sounding).

#OR05 (a right-to-repair battleground with many independent repair professionals and DIY enthusiasts who view anti-repair as an assault on private property) already has a Democrat, but perhaps Rep. Bynum could secure support of a demographic of voters who might otherwise lean R by addressing this issue. Similarly, #NC02 (home of #GamersNexus) currently has a #Democrat, but perhaps Rep. Ross could meet with Steve Burke (whom I'm guessing is a constituent of hers) on GN and discuss this.

And then there's the "AI" industry and data center backlash, where, depending on riding, voters could be swayed with varying emphases. Land, water, and drought issues may reach voters in #TX21 and #AZ01; noise pollution and underhanded municipal interference in #VA10 and #GA06; creative and intellectual labor theft in #CA30 and #NY10.

To gain effective rhetoric, candidates and their staff could study a bunch of recent GamersNexus reporting, especially the #GNCA videos, and read the popular comments on those videos from fans. (I'd suggest @davidgerard as a source, but I'm guessing he's from the UK. AFAIK, Steve Burke is American. I'd volunteer if the #NDP or #GreenParty wanted to run on this issue. @avilewis?)

For examples of this messaging in practice, already credible voices for a #consumerRights focus include Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (a R2R champion in #WA03 who could appeal to libertarians, PC builders, and rural tech-hobbyists who voted Republican in 2024 but despise corporate infringement on private property), and Sen. Ron Wyden (a long-standing advocate for consumer privacy and digital rights in #OR — a state with a lot of tech professionals and digital sovereignty advocates).

#uspol #cdnpoli #noAI #deflock

#democrats #aoc #ny14 #ma #righttorepair #righttoown