I agree the strategy would have to be hijack-proof. Something like Gore experiencing a convenient "change of heart" towards the end of this current term and convincing Clinton and the administration to soften crypto export restrictions which would make Gore look like a hero to the high-tech community just in time for the election. Naturally this would have to be carefully scripted but the objective would be to keep the democrats in power. Just a theory.

Return-Path: <owner-cypherpunks@toad.com> Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 23:43:43 -0800 From: Greg Broiles <gbroiles@netbox.com> To: Rick Hornbeck <rnh2@ix.netcom.com> Cc: cypherpunks@toad.com Subject: Re: The Politics of Export Restrictions Sender: owner-cypherpunks@toad.com

At 09:44 PM 1/29/97 -0800, Rick Hornbeck wrote:

...

Is it possible the unreasonable crypto export restrictions are simply being imposed at this time for the purpose of making Al Gore look good when he runs for President in 2000?

I suppose it's plausible, but it's an opportunity open to both candidates, and more plausibly (because of lack of collaboration) to the Republicans - e.g., Dan Quayle and the "Crypto Freedom For Americans" platform, promising to rescue Silicon Valley from those evil regulatory Democrats.

If I were an evil politician trying to set up a trick like you suggest, I think I'd want a scheme that my opponent(s) couldn't hijack and use against me.

-- Greg Broiles | US crypto export control policy in a nutshell: gbroiles@netbox.com | http://www.io.com/~gbroiles | Export jobs, not crypto. |