The Internet has revolutionized the ways presidential candidates connect with potential voters. But what have the presidential candidates done in exchange to protect the network that's become essential to their efforts? Not much. No candidate, Democrat or Republican, has supported strong, pro-consumer encryption measures. Trump and Cruz have all challenged Apple's right to protect the security of its users from government snooping, and both Democratic candidates vaguely advocated for the FBI and Apple to work together for a solution. It's one thing for candidates to use the Internet to help mobilize their base. But it's not enough, unless they also recognize that protecting an open, secure and affordable Internet is essential to their own best interests, and to the future of democracy.

The Internet is a great tool, but it is also a risky one. We have all fallen victim to the Internet's black hole effect, reemerging hours later to wonder where the day went. We pay in time and peace of mind what we get in "convenience." These are a few reasons why I keep wifi out of my home.

By working with Republican majority to enact a net-neutrality law now, Democrats have an opportunity to set rules for a fair, open and competitive Internet well into the future.

The framers of the Constitution couldn't have foreseen a time in which technology allowed more than 2.7 billion people to communicate worldwide via interconnected digital platforms. This exponential growth of speech is without precedent -- and it requires us to be clear on who the real speakers are.

Given the discussions over recent months, the ongoing normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations, and the many important questions ahead, the topic of proximity has once again been placed on the table for our degustation.