During the past eight years the future American economy has been mortgaged by extraordinary federal borrowing that increases the national debt and decreases discretionary flexibility in the national budget. We must move the country back to a fiscally sound footing. Senator Obama's proposals and intentions are clearly aimed in this direction. He brings fresh and refreshing candor to the political dialogue and remarkable leadership skills that will serve the country domestically and, perhaps more important, internationally. His policies show a clear respect and regard for scientific and technical consultation. As a scientist and engineer, I look forward to his election. It will mark a milestone in our history and invigorate a population eager to participate in a renewal of the American spirit.
-- Vint Cerf, Vice President, Google, Reston, VA 

I've already contributed to and voted for Barack Obama despite the facts that I'm a 70-year-old white male and small business owner whose taxes will increase when he is president. Obama is the first Democrat I've voted for and the first presidential candidate to whom I've sent money. We need a leader who will focus on education for all; a thoughtful and intelligent leader who can inspire this great nation of ours during the difficult times ahead.
-- Bill Struve, CEO of Metal Adventures Inc., Wilmington, NC 
 
In the last few decades, the Democrats have shown that they know how to stimulate the economy and Obama is very much in that tradition. One of his key plans is to invest in science because he knows that science generates new ideas, innovation and ultimately solid economic growth. For scientists, he will provide the wherewithal for us to investigate our ideas and to find new directions for economic growth. Obama will also adjust the very unfair tax structure that was put in place by Bush, which reduced taxes on the wealthy and put more of the burden on the middle class. I must admit that by his definition, I am one of the wealthy. But like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, I believe that I should be paying more (not to suggest that I am in their class, just that we have common beliefs).
-- David Baltimore, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Professor of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA

I am a business owner, asset manager and financial advisor based in New York City, and a strong supporter of Senator Barack Obama for President. Senator Obama promises to raise my taxes and I will be happy to pay the proposed higher rates. Let me tell you why: I believe that paying taxes for worthy programs that help to strengthen America such as early childhood education, improvement in school programs, providing loans to students for college and supporting better pay for teachers, police, fire services and providing social services to the needy are part of my civic duty as a responsible and patriotic citizen. I do not mind paying taxes, but I do care that my taxes are not wasted on an unnecessary war and subsidies for big oil companies and multi millionaire Wall Street bankers that do not need them.
-- Ian D. Quan-Soon, MBA, CFP, President, IQ Financial Services, Inc., New York, NY

I do not think it's class warfare [Obama's economic policies], I think it's empirical economics. The real issue is the empirical content of the supply side economics dogma. It's pretty threadbare. The "real business cycle" theory is simply inconsistent with empirical evidence. That does not prevent it from being taught as gospel to students (it's really gospel not empirical evidence). I would first and foremost talk to Ray Fair (Yale) and Mark Watson (Princeton) about the evidence for the supply side model. What is ironic is that those who preach supply side practice a crude version of Keynesian economics that ignores all of those incentive effects claimed to be so important by the supply side theorists. The real question apart from the current turmoil is the longer run. Denying the value of investment in knowledge;in infrastructure;in basic science and education at all levels has been and will continue to be harmful to our long run health. In my mind, Obama's eyes are fixed more on things that will improve the US economy in the next century. The basic data on the current crisis is still being revealed, but it's clear that the absence of serious regulatory oversight contributed mightily to the current problems. It's not class warfare; its about a future-oriented society.
-- James Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

I will pay more taxes under the Obama administration, and like Warren Buffet and Adam Smith, I think that is not unreasonable. In return I get a country that: invests more in basic science research (which will grow the economy faster), understands the need for a transformative switch to a new energy economy (which gains jobs, decreases oil usage and alleviates climate problems), and regains respect on the world stage (bettering all of us in the USA, and all of us on earth). I call that a bargain.
-- Peter Norvig, Ph.D., Director of Research, Google, Palo Alto, CA