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July 31, 2012 9:02 AM
For Those Who Just Can’t Wait
Emulating a 2008 Obama campaign gimmick (which relied on the much simpler and less invasive text message), Team Romey’s announced a new smartphone app that will enable its lucky owner to become among the very first to read the exciting names of “Rob Portman” or “Tim Pawlenty” as the next vice president of the United States once the decision is released at some point in the next few weeks.
In return, the Romney campaign will get to go on a data harvesting expedition, according to The Hill’s Justin Sink:
[D]epending on how the Romney app works, it could provide even more demographic information to the Romney campaign. Upon instillation, the application asks permission to access data about where a user is located, and urges supporters to log in using social networks like Twitter. That could allow the campaign large-scale data harvesting, an invaluable tool for campaign staff looking to tailor advertising and fundraising efforts.
But for Romney supporters, giving up some privacy is a small price to pay for the joy of that first, intense injection of pure vanilla goodness when the ticket that will take back America for its rightful owners becomes complete.
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boatboy_srq on July 31, 2012 9:17 AM:
Wow. Just wow.
We've gone from no expectation of privacy, to (according to Scalia) no right to privacy, to no hope of privacy. And somehow the GOP peepers think this is a good thing.
How soon before we have informants among our neighbors and political officers in our military?
Lifelong Dem on July 31, 2012 9:30 AM:
Wasn't the Obama campaign's text message list the genesis for FoxNews and other right-wing media to howl that, as President, Obama would be collecting everyone's cell phone number and email address? Are they ginning up the outrage machine for the Romney app?
terraformer on July 31, 2012 9:34 AM:
A healthy dose of political sarcasm as dispensed by Ed helps to start my day off right.
Hedda Peraz on July 31, 2012 9:37 AM:
For anyone signing up for this ap, I have some Magic Beans I will swap you for the family cow!
troglodyte on July 31, 2012 9:52 AM:
Not to spoil the snark, but doesnt the Obama campaign harvest info on its supporters in automated ways? Isnt there also an Obama smartphone app? The Romney VPbot deserves note because the Repubs are so vocally defensive about personal freedom, so I see the grounds for some snark. But what are the extra intrusions of Team Romney? Possibilities include: they collect data on the VP-curious, not just supporters.
c u n d gulag on July 31, 2012 9:52 AM:
So, Mitt will have access to all sorts of people's information - all while still keeping his, secret!
Privacy is proving to be, like all other things, only for those who can afford it.
Anonymous on July 31, 2012 10:00 AM:
trog, yes, Obama has a Smartphone app. As much as I'd like to sign up for it, I think I'll pass.
Alan Tomlinson on July 31, 2012 11:00 AM:
The temptation to hack this particular app–once people hear about it-should be very high indeed. It would be a coup of the first order for a hacker to "reveal" to the world that Romney's running mate will be, oh I don't know, say Sarah Palin.
"Sarah, tried and tested!"
Cheers,
Alan Tomlinson
exlibra on July 31, 2012 1:36 PM:
How soon before we have informants among our neighbors and political officers in our military? -- boatboy_srq, @9:17 AM
As soon as we complete our transformation into the Socialist Union of American States, of course. Somewhere around 4th of July 2013, if the true patriots are unsuccessful in dislodging the Kenyan Muslim from the White (not Black or Brown, mind you!) House in November.
laym on July 31, 2012 3:19 PM:
"[...] the joy of that first, intense injection of pure vanilla goodness when [...]"
This, sir, is an intolerable insult to vanilla. Good day, sir!