Opinion: Republicans are making new friends -- in Silicon Valley

Until recently, conventional wisdom among political consultants was that Silicon Valley was a hotbed of left libertarianism -- individualistic entrepreneurs who wish to be left alone by the government, free from taxes -- or at least high ones -- and especially from regulations. Yet they’re also seen as socially liberal, pro-gay rights in a “get the government out of your bedroom” kind of way. Of course, social liberalism has its limits (Silicon Valley is less than 100% sensitive to the complaints of feminists).

If any Republicans were to make inroads among technorati billionaires, mainstream opinion went, they would be personalities such as probable 2016 presidential candidate Rand Paul, the senator from Kentucky. Indeed, Paul has been making the rounds on the peninsula south of San Francisco, pushing ideas such as moving public education online (with, naturally, certain cough-cough companies likely to reap profits).

Silicon Valley mostly backed Barack Obama in 2008, less so in 2012, and now the not-so-libertarian tech execs who look more like old-school Fortune 500 barons are coming out of the closet, opening the checkbooks for old-fashioned GOP politicians such as Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss and even a cameo by right-wing luminary and tax harpy Grover Norquist at, of all places, Burning Man (which went big tech this year).

The Times’ Evan Halper reports:

“Democrats haven’t yet lost their advantage, but Bay Area techies are writing increasingly sizable checks to GOP candidates and causes, sometimes with great fanfare, as when Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg hosted a fundraiser at his house last year for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Google is helping bankroll some of the most conservative think tanks in Washington, including Norquist’s group. A bromance of sorts has kindled between Elon Musk and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.

“Some tweaking of their brand and deft maneuvering on issues where Democrats are failing to deliver for tech has opened new doors for the GOP.”

Tech CEOs have always been attention whores, but now they need the attention of the political class for practical reasons. American tech companies are under attack, literally by Chinese hackers and legally by officials of the European Union who accuse them of being in bed with the National Security Agency and of monopolistic practices. Republicans argue that Democrats have taken Silicon Valley for granted for far too long, and that the GOP is the party to provide the access to the corridors of power in D.C.

When I read about the GOP’s charm offensive, I imagined stuffy old Republican politicians from dowdy Washington sucking up to young whippersnappers from Silicon Valley, quickly finding that they had nothing more in common then their mutual dislike of ordinary people. That, and their greed. These guys don’t like anyone or anything -- but is contempt enough to bond over?

Follow Ted Rall on Twitter @tedrall