If you listen to the daily reporting in the media, you'd think the presidential race came down to issues like Iraq, terrorism and healthcare. But what about technology?

We decided to get the candidates' position on key tech issues, but it wasn't easy. The Kerry camp sometimes responded with canned boilerplate answers; the Bush campaign didn't respond at all. However, we pieced together the positions of the candidates based on the responses we did get, plus their speeches, blogs and information posted on their Web sites.

Sometimes, it's hard to tell who's the Democrat and who's the Republican; who's the Compassionate Conservative or the Bleeding Heart Liberal. But here goes:

Outsourcing

In campaigning across the country, Kerry makes Bush out to be the leader of the offshore outsourcers. He cites members of the Bush administration who have made public statements in support of outsourcing. Kerry says current tax laws let companies defer paying U.S. taxes on income earned by their foreign subsidiaries. He says he plans to close that "loophole."

"All across America, companies have shut their doors, putting hardworking people out of a job, leaving entire communities without help or hope," Kerry says. "We value an America that exports products, not jobs - and we believe American workers should never have to subsidize the loss of their own job."

Bush countered in a speech earlier this year that taxing overseas labor would hamper innovation in the U.S. Of course, Bush is not coming forward saying he is in favor of offshore outsourcing: He argues that going with Kerry's plans would create isolationism.

"We want people working here," Bush adds. But his staff didn't provide any further details on his policy toward offshore outsourcing.

National broadband policy

It doesn't take Kerry long in his speeches to point out that the U.S. is 10th in the world in the adoption of broadband. He says the country has fallen six spots in this ranking during Bush's term as president. Kerry says he would provide a tax credit to ensure that broadband access is universal and affordable. He says he foresees a day when there is a universally available broadband network that is 10 to 100 times faster than today's networks.

Widespread adoption of broadband would add $500 billion to the U.S. economy and generate more than 1.2 million jobs, Kerry says. "If Bangalore in India can be completely wired, then so should all of America," he says.

Kerry plans to provide a 10% tax credit for investment in broadband technology and 20% for next-generation high-speed broadband. He proposes that these tax credits be in effect for five years, costing a total of $2 billion. "By bringing more opportunity to rural America, the telecommunications revolution can strengthen the social fabric of many communities," he says.

Bush has urged Congress to not pass legislation that would tax broadband access offerings. He is in favor of universal broadband access within three years. "The quality of life of our citizens is going to improve dramatically through this technology," Bush says. He has said that broadband over power lines is the next great opportunity in technology.

In Bush's four years in office, the number of subscriber lines has increased in the U.S. from 7 million to 28 million. To encourage the deployment of broadband, Bush has urged the unfettered use of federal land to run fiber-optic lines.

According to Bush's Web site, he has signed into law an economic security package that will speed depreciation schedules. He adds that deploying the telecom equipment and technologies needed for the high-speed Internet is capital-intensive. And companies are more likely to make these investments if they can depreciate the capital costs associated with broadband rollout over a shorter time period, he says on his Web site.

Wireless spectrum

Kerry would provide low-frequency spectrum needed to help with the growth of wireless broadband. "The explosive growth of Wi-Fi shows the benefits of making some spectrum available on an unlicensed basis," he says. "This could be particularly important for rural areas, since the cost of deploying these new services could be three to four times cheaper than existing wireless technologies."

Kerry also would make regulatory changes that encompass new broadband technologies such as mesh networks and ultra-wideband. He would free up spectrum by quickening the move of analog television signals to digital and would like to split the vacated spectrum in thirds, giving one-third to first responders and setting aside one-third for unlicensed wireless broadband. The rest would be auctioned off for up to $30 billion. This money would be used to pay for his national broadband policy.

Bush also agrees that more federally controlled wireless spectrum should be auctioned for free public use. He has asked Congress to pass the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act, which would allow for the sale of government-controlled spectrum. He notes that framework for spectrum management has not kept pace with the changes in technology and spectrum use.

"The spectrum that allows for wireless technology is a limited resource. In other words, it's not endless spectrum. And we need to use it wisely. And a wise use of that spectrum is to help our economy grow and help the quality of our people," Bush said in speech earlier this year.