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Mitt Romney To Announce VP Decision Via Smartphone App 461

redletterdave writes "In 2008, then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama decided to announce his running mate, then-Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, over a text message, which was sent out to Obama's legions of followers. Four years later, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the likely presidential nominee from the Republican Party, has decided to make his VP announcement over a smartphone app. On Tuesday, Mitt Romney's campaign team launched a smartphone app called 'Mitt's VP,' which promises app users will be the first to know the official news of Romney's running mate for the November election. Once Romney makes his decision, he will announce the news over the app, which will alert smartphone owners with a text notification."
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Mitt Romney To Announce VP Decision Via Smartphone App

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  • by crazyjj ( 2598719 ) * on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:25PM (#40831799)

    At this point, as crazy partisan as things have gotten, I'm pretty sure everyone in their right minds has already decided where they stand in the fall. Obama, Romney, third party, or stay at home--I doubt there are very many left who are going to be swayed at this point by a VP nominee. Short of Romney either pulling off a miracle (announcing Jesus as his VP, complete with second coming) or making an epic-level misstep (announcing the Colorado shooter as his VP)--I don't think it's going to matter much either way. I'm pretty sure only the die-hard pundits are still listening to either candidate at this point.

    I mean, the only time I can remember anyone outside of the pundits even talking about the VP nominees has been when they've REALLY been fuck-ups. And Romney doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to go with one of those (maybe Santorum at the OUTSIDE, and I doubt even that).

    • Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:30PM (#40831891)
      Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by h4rr4r ( 612664 )

        I wish I could have been in on that meeting, the level of stupidity in picking her was just astounding.

        PROTIP for Romney: You have the old people and fox news watchers all locked up, you do not need a VP that will reassure them so stick with someone less crazy. Or don't, I won't vote for you either way.

        • by Jeng ( 926980 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:45PM (#40832155)

          My prediction for the VP candidate is going to be a Cheney 2.0

          Some rather sketchy politician with really questionable ties to industries whom everyone is pretty sure is just doing it as a means of making a shit load of money, consequences and country be damned.

          • by CanHasDIY ( 1672858 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:50PM (#40832255) Homepage Journal

            My prediction for the VP candidate is going to be a Cheney 2.0

            Some rather sketchy politician with really questionable ties to industries whom everyone is pretty sure is just doing it as a means of making a shit load of money, consequences and country be damned.

            So.. Karl Rove?

            Nah, Methuselah always prefers to run things from the shadows...

          • by Fwipp ( 1473271 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @02:17PM (#40832711)

            I don't think you can be your own running mate...

            • I'm sure the GOP's got the blueprints to build another Romney.

        • by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:53PM (#40832297)

          It wasn't stupid to pick Palin. McCain's campaign was going nowhere fast, as the Republicans yet again picked the guy who was next on the list, instead of someone who might actually interest voters. When Palin was announced as the VP pick, McCain's numbers shot up. Most of the people I know who voted Republican that year were voting for Palin, not for McCain.

          The Republican establishment inside the District of Corruption doesn't want to hear that they simply bore people. Palin, for all her faults (and yeah, she has 'em), shot some life into the Republican party for a bit.

          Romney's probably going to do whatever his advisers tell him to do, which will be moderate, and safe, and utterly boring. Boring does not win elections.

          • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

            by SlippyToad ( 240532 )

            "It wasn't stupid to pick Palin."???

            Let's get something straight here. Palin was fucking stupid. She, personally, was a fucking twit.

            Anyone thinking that she was a positive for the GOP is also a fucking twit. She did more damage to the GOP brand every time she opened her dumb mouth-hole.

            • by fuzzyfuzzyfungus ( 1223518 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @02:11PM (#40832603) Journal

              You, um, might have missed a memo or two about the, er, 'demographic re-targeting' of the GOP brand...

            • > Anyone thinking that she was a positive for the GOP is also a
              > fucking twit. She did more damage to the GOP brand every time
              > she opened her dumb mouth-hole.

              Um really? Do you see one of their men in the hot seat for what was the coming economic crisis? Is their man defending his record during a major recession?

              Palin was a smart choice for throwing the election, when they already had a good enough candidate for their aims being run by the Dems.

              The GOP has spent the past 20 years going off the deep end and pulling the dems over to their side. We have a Dem president who came out of the gate proposing the old GOP healthcare reform, even fighting them for it.

              They already won. The last thing they would want is to have to take credit, it ruins their whole strategy, as they demonstrated with Bush II.

              People don't seem to realize, you don't win under this system by supporting your people and compromising with likeminded people. You win by going so far to the extreme of your view, that others have to compromise with you.

          • What people do you hang out with? Inmates at the local asylum?

        • by Greyfox ( 87712 )
          It's like McCain was actually trying to lose that election. You know what it is, he was a guy I'd have considered voting for when he was running against Bush. Somewhere along the way someone got to him and sucked his soul out. Some vestigial part of his soul managed to avoid getting sucked out and was all like "Oh yeah?! Well I'll let the Kenyan win! How do you like them apples?!" Either that or it was the onset of dementia. Every so often you see a flash of the old McCain, the honorable war hero who served
      • I found it scary that Romney was indeed the less crazy choice, but then next to Perry and Santorum it's not difficult to appear an intelligent and compassionate centrist. I'm very curious to see his VP choice, and I'd hope he won't repeat McCain's clusterfuck of a choice.

      • die-in-the-wool

        I think you mean "dyed in the wool," although the idea that they're so devoted that they'd die with the wool still pulled over their eyes works too :-P

      • by dkleinsc ( 563838 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:59PM (#40832383) Homepage

        Despite attempts to depict him otherwise (sometimes by himself!), Romney comes across as a moderately competent political moderate.

        I generally consider Mitt Romney to be a thoroughly dishonest political $DEITY-knows-what. These are the only political positions I've actually seen him consistently take:
        1. Taxes should be lower, especially on rich people.
        2. I'm not Barack Obama. In particular, I'm white.

        Everything else seems to me to be up for grabs, and vary from hour to hour depending on who he's talking to.

        • by fuzzyfuzzyfungus ( 1223518 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @02:14PM (#40832665) Journal

          He has also been largely consistent in his assurances that, while being governor of Massachusetts does make him Serious and Experienced, he is absolutely against any policy he endorsed or enacted in that office, and is particularly horrified that this great nation has been saddled with the a medical insurance system practically identical to Romneycare...

        • I used to think Mormons were crazy.
          Then I got to know a few of them (I live in AZ). They seemed like really nice, decent people.
          Then I got to know them much better... and realized they are very good at hiding their craziness. They have a system and a program in place on how to show you and convince you they aren't crazy. They get points for bringing people into their faith. Their religion is very organized, and a lot of what they do is under a veil of "community". They are staunch conservative Republic

      • by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @02:46PM (#40833159)

        I'm sorry, where do you get your news? Moderately competent? Really? Romney just came back from a disastrous trip to Europe, where he offended the entire country of Britain, was renounced by the Poles (big fans of Solidarity, not so much of Mitt's union views), pissed off the Palestinians by saying their culture was inferior to Israel's (keep in mind Israel is the occupying force there, keeping free movement of goods and trade limited).

        Good lord, the guy keeps talking about the Soviet Union being an adversary of the US! 20 years after the Soviet Union fell!

        This guy can chop up a company and "extract" a profit, so can I, that's just numbers on a spreadsheet, but he's not a leader of a super power. And I didn't even get into his buying all the hard drives in Massachusetts after he left office to delete his history there, how he won't release any more than the bare minimum when it comes to his tax returns (his dad released 12 years and set the standard), or how his wife's prancing horse is a $77,000.00 a year tax deduction, more than most American's make a year.

        He's worse than anyone will ever admit, because he's all they got, but the guy's toast once they get to the debates and he puts both feet in his mouth at the same time. The crazies took over the Republican party, and CItizens United fogged up the windows so thick that the GOTeaP is toast. Incompetent to the point they can't even find a candidate who's not a twit.

        Also, my dogs ride inside the car.

    • by crovira ( 10242 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:30PM (#40831899) Homepage

      This is exactly the WRONG way to use social media.

      Its NOT to broadcast to a select few what decision [insert name here] reached.

      Social media is to solicit from the "Wisdom of the Commons" who a running mate should be.

      This is so stupid that its doesn't deserve further comment.

    • by jhoegl ( 638955 )
      Hey... he could name Palin or her sister... whats her name?
    • At this point, as crazy partisan as things have gotten, I'm pretty sure everyone in their right minds has already decided where they stand in the fall

      There are still substantial shifts in polling, so I think there are still a core group of independent voters who are making up minds on the matter, and are able to have minds changed by words or deeds.

    • by Hatta ( 162192 )

      At this point, as crazy partisan as things have gotten, I'm pretty sure everyone in their right minds has already decided where they stand in the fall.

      Nobody in their right minds would vote for either Romney or Obama, unless they are already multi-millionaires. For the rest of us, it doesn't matter. They are both owned by the uber rich.

    • The people who talk about it, have made there minds, There is a big set of undecided,
      There are people who have a mixed bag on what they want that doesn't fit political lines.
      Pro-Choice and Anti-Welfare
      Pro-Life and Wants welfare expansion
      Favors A larger military but more gun controls....

      The moderates in the world are often treated as not having strong convictions, but they may have strong convictions however their views don't fit the molds, they take a little from each side and try to figure out what is the

  • Well, kiss my app
  • by Kenja ( 541830 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:29PM (#40831875)
    Mitt has a bad track record with phone apps. [google.com]
    • I came in here for the Amercia jokes and you are the first to bring it up by basically pointing out that it happened. I am mighty disappointed, Slashdotters.

  • Smartphone Apps?
    Security traps.
    Can't smooth visage
    Like fine blade, chaps.
    Burma Shave
  • My Personal App?? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by lowsix ( 60516 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:31PM (#40831909)

    Isn't that what Twitter is for? Does everyone now need their own app?

    • I was going to say the same thing only suggesting email rather than twitter. Just let people sign up for an email notification. Anyone with a smart phone is going to get emails from it, and hey, they now have a list of people to advertise to if they so wish. No need to design any special app.

    • If things keep going this direction, next election the candidates will be handing out their own special branded smartphones that only run their app when it boots up.

  • by mykos ( 1627575 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:32PM (#40831921)
    Corporations are people too!
  • by kaizendojo ( 956951 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:33PM (#40831949)
    to see what he mispells this time.
  • for Siri as VP. She's easily as smart as any other recent VP candidates.
    • for Siri as VP. She's easily as smart as any other recent VP candidates.

      or Presidential candidates for that matter.

  • Republicans? Apps? Technology? Hmmm. Not the perfect audience for this.

  • 1. Why not tie this into the existing "I'm with Mitt" app? How many diff apps will he have before it's all said and done.
    2. If you already have an app, why send out SMS to notify users?

  • by MobyDisk ( 75490 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:37PM (#40832019) Homepage

    Someone who makes an entire app just to receive a text message, does sound like someone who will run an efficient government.

  • by thewiz ( 24994 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:38PM (#40832031)

    Looks like Max Headroom will be the new VP candidate.
    At least he has a mute button.

  • Politics aside (Score:5, Insightful)

    by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:38PM (#40832035)

    This strikes me as an obvious case where a guy - and, more importantly, his campaign staff - just don't grok the technology.

    Why on earth would you need a "Mitt's VP" app? There are already numerous, widely-used communication technologies well-suited to this purpose. And on top of that - why would anyone think a single-purpose, one-use-only app makes any sense?

    • Re:Politics aside (Score:4, Insightful)

      by WRX SKy ( 1118003 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:46PM (#40832177)
      Because they slip the "Phone State & Identity" permission in there and Taaa-Daaaa! You now have the cell numbers for all of your followers / can hassle them for donations.
    • Re:Politics aside (Score:5, Informative)

      by rgbrenner ( 317308 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:47PM (#40832195)

      No, this is an example where they understand technology perfectly. You'll install the app to hear his VP announcement, and in the meantime you'll get push notifications to donate to his campaign, the latest anti-Obama ad message, and more notifications to donate to his campaign.

      • Romney doesn't need any more money, he has tons more cash than Obama as he is bankrolled by the plutocracy.

        although you are right, i forgot the great legion of American idiots, who would give this man money and vote for him, even though he is part of the corporate culture that fired the unemployed American idiot to move his job to a country with less workers rights and cheaper slave like labor. but don't worry, his kind will reemploy the American idiots again, just as soon as all "evil socialist" worker's rights are destroyed and we desperately need the walmart greeter job at one tenth the salary

    • Clearly he needed some way to get kickbacks to somebody so he paid them a couple grand to create this app - which they probably paid some desperate coder in India $10 to actually write. Clearly it's the work of a master job-creator in action.

    • Because a technical retard thinks this is a great way to look like they're from the 21st century and they're "hip," "groovy," and "tubular."

      It's reminiscent of "The Young Ones" skit where they are making fun of young people's programing.

    • This strikes me as an obvious case where a guy - and, more importantly, his campaign staff - just don't grok the technology.

      Sounds more like you are stuck in the past.

      Communicating this over an app is brilliant - it's the one piece of information more casual users might have any interest in. So my announcing this choice via an app, Romney gets hundreds of thousands or possible millions of people to download an application, that can be used for further secondary direct messaging later.

      It also makes a ton of

  • Why??? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Hotawa Hawk-eye ( 976755 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:38PM (#40832041)

    I'm sure that people who don't have this app will be kicking themselves. After all, this app is going to be the ONLY way to learn who Romney has chosen ... for the six seconds it takes for CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and EVERY OTHER TV, INTERNET, RADIO, ETC. NEWS ORGANIZATION IN THE US to get someone on the air announcing it.

  • One word... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jez9999 ( 618189 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:38PM (#40832043) Homepage Journal

    Why?

    Seriously... um, why would anyone download this app considering the VP pick will be all over the news 5 seconds later? Is Romney trying to look "hip" by doing this? If so, it's a pathetically transparent attempt.

    • It's going to be exclusive content on the Smart Phone, and if they reveal the VP pick, the other news outlets will be sued for violating Romney's Intellectual Property. If he picks Sarah Palin, all this will be especially ironic.
    • Maybe he'll make an app for every major announcement after this. Or every minor announcement. Download the "Mitt took a dump" app today!

  • this has great potential for epic fail. perhaps it is time to dust off the old disassembler.

  • I'm very disappointed here. I would have expected at least one person in the first 50 comments to suggest that his running mate will be a refrigerator magnet. Remind me how those work again, Romney? :D
  • by Assmasher ( 456699 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @01:41PM (#40832089) Journal

    ...require everything necessary to continually contact you and annoy the sh** out of you.

    How long until the Democrats have something similarly ridiculous as a contact farming tool?

  • ...

  • After careful deconstruction of the app, I have discovered the VP candidate's name is "Force Close".

  • Barack Obama has Joe Biden. Romney wants to win, so has to out-perform Obama. There is only one person alive that out-performs Joe Biden, no other than... Chris Dodd!
  • by NicknamesAreStupid ( 1040118 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @02:03PM (#40832449)
    If ever there was an app to be cracked, it must be this. Think of the possibilities --
    Mitt selects Kim Jong Il
    Mitt selects Vladimir Putin
    Mitt selects Sarah Palin
    Mitt selects Daffy Dick
    Wish I had the chops to try. Anyway, Let the Games Begin!
  • I'll just keep relying on The Daily Show.
  • by Dzimas ( 547818 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @02:07PM (#40832511)
    In the last decade or so, the US political process seems to have refocused on the endless selection of candidates that takes years, rather than focusing on the actual business of government. Other countries typically mount much faster elections, and political parties tend to be ephemeral -- two or three groups may amalgamate to mount a challenge to the ruling party, whereas the Democrats and Republicans seemed locked in a colossal coin toss. Barring a significant political event leading up to the election, we know that one party will edge the other by a handful of votes. Of course, it's easy to provide foreign commentary but much harder to see what could be done to improve the situation. Perhaps we will see the emergence of new regional parties that focus on issues of extreme importance for specific areas? Perhaps we'll see increasing demands placed on the federal gov't by individual states? Or perhaps we'll see the status quo indefinitely. I'd be interested to hear an American perspective on this -- does the system work? How would you improve it?
  • by Damastus the WizLiz ( 935648 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @03:35PM (#40833817)
    I am still surprised that people Think the office of the president is to blame for everything in this country. Like nothing happens that isnt their fault, good or bad.
  • by ultraexactzz ( 546422 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @03:48PM (#40834035) Journal
    On the one hand, I disagree very strongly with pretty much every policy proposed by Governor Romney. On the other hand, I like to hear things first and lord the knowledge over my colleagues. I also don't mind large political operations tracking my movements.

    ...Well Played, Romney.
  • by slashmydots ( 2189826 ) on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @09:26PM (#40837339)
    Darn, I had all my money on golden stone tablets or whatever the fuck, lol
  • by Genda ( 560240 ) <mariet@@@got...net> on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @11:15PM (#40838239) Journal

    How banal. How trite. An app to appeal to the baby Republicans... oh isn't that just precious. I wanna see a little showmanship!!! I wanna see a little fanfare. They should have had the Republican Convention at Disney World, hell its a circus isn't it? And we all know that Florida's all tied up with a bow... can you say JIM CROW!!! So why not have the Mickey bend over, shoot a 50 ft. fireball out of his ass and the smoke coalesces into the ghost of Walt Disney who introduces the newest attraction "Political Land" and the new VP is... and its get's said with fireworks and the choirs of angels backing it up.

    An app... blow me.

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite." -- Bertrand Russell, _Sceptical_Essays_, 1928

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