&gt;&gt; As Mr. Cook, 55, stood before the auditorium on Apple’s campus, the audience — made up mostly of investors in the company — rose from their seats and applauded him.<p>The amount of applause is irrelevant.  All shareholders are not equal.  This isn&#x27;t one person one vote.  Were the institutional investors clapping?  That one fund manger in the corner not clapping is worth more than a stadium of supportive private investors.<p>The american people are split on this.  As with every other issue, half the country sides with the government.  Some surveys put it at more than half.  And they do appear to be the older&#x2F;richer&#x2F;conservative investor class.  They count for more because they own more.  Twitter users may be very supportive and make lots of noise, but they don&#x27;t count.  Those older shareholders, the pension plans and hedge funds, I&#x27;m not so sure they are on Apple&#x27;s side.  Time is short.<p>Rather than support Apple through applause, the shares-poor but votes-rich masses need to lobby Washington.  Votes are their only power base.  And old people.  Get your parents and grandparents on side.  Make sure they understand the situation when those endless landlines-only telephone surveys hit them this election season.