Just when you thought you couldn't take any more excitement from Mitt Romney, he's added an element of suspense to his campaign.
And no, I'm not talking about the release of his tax returns.
I'm speaking of the "undying suspense" all the pundits tell us we're harboring as we await Romney's pick for a Vice Presidential nominee. No doubt the suspense is killing him too. You just never know who Dick Cheney, Grover Norquist and Karl Rove may tap to pander alongside Mitt in Tampa later this month. Women, Hispanics, people of color, Tea Nuts! So many to pander to, so little time. How to choose? Why, Mitt's passed so many promised announcement deadlines already that speculation over Marco Rubio and a couple others are already in re-runs. What to do?
Well, Mitt has come up with another carrot to dangle in front of voters.
Because he promises that you and only you will be the first to know when he's made his choice, he's pulling out all the stops and gone all high-tech. "Romney For President, Inc." has created "Mitt's VP," a smart phone app that promises to notify you the minute Mitt makes his decision!
"App Store. Technology. Good."
Ironically, this is a requirement when you download his app. You must hand over personal information:
Name, email, address, zip code and, optionally, their mobile phone number. An account on Mitt Romney.com is automatically created, and users are simply presented with a screen that says "Coming Soon" and promises that the app will inform users of Romney's VP pick "before the press and just about everyone else (except maybe Ann)."
It's an app that currently has a narrow functionality, and none at all after Romney makes his pick.
Not that this is unusual. Giving personal information in exchange for apps is something we're used to. But it's a little ironic that you are required to give so much personal information just to get an app so that Mitt Romney's campaign can track you in light of the fact that Romney would have voters put him in office with little or no information from him, like those tax returns. In a perfect world, we would hold a Presidential nominee to a higher standard than one who merely wants a free download, and yet, here we are.
At least one Romney fan also sees the intrusion for what it is. From a "review" on the app website:
Too much extra crap. I just wanted to know when VP picked. App wanted to much info from me and wanted me to be evangelistic in promoting Romney to others. I'll just wait for CNN app to give me notice 10 minutes late and delete this app.
Here's an app that I think people would actually be interested in: One that notifies people when Mittens decides to release those tax returns.
Sadly, there's not an app for that.