Thunt.net is proud to support Robert X. Cringely, columnist, technologist, and all around nice guy for the position of US Chief Technology Officer.

The U.S. CTO would have to be a dynamic leader capable of speaking his or her mind and holding his or her own against a tide of critics and special interests. Hey, that’s what I do every week (sometimes twice)! Maintaining and defending technology opinions is my only business and some people think I do it too well, which I take as a compliment.

Now we need to consider why President-Elect Obama thinks the country needs a CTO in the first place. The President has long had a Science Adviser, so why appoint a CTO? It’s the distinction between adviser and officer that I’d say is the whole point; one simply advises while the other implements and leads directly. And I think there is plenty of room for new leadership in this area.

My belief that something CAN be done is critical, because most of the usual suspects for this job probably think it can’t. The reason I am so optimistic is because of the very financial disaster that is the current U.S. economy. Things are so bad right now that I am greatly encouraged. [link]