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Official iPhone app for Obama '08 now in App Store

We're officially a nonpartisan bunch here at TUAW (actually, quite partisan, but only for the Mac) but the announcement of an official iPhone application from the Obama campaign is still worthy of mention. Several high-profile iPhone devs & designers were involved in the project, including formerly-of-Tapulous Mike Lee, Louie Mantia and Tristan O'Tierney. Raven Zachary led the team that included Jonathan Wight and more, all volunteering to rush the app to completion.

In addition to the obvious-but-cool features of the app (download news from the campaign, watch YouTube videos of speeches and endorsements), there is quite a bit of iPhone special sauce. Location awareness means you can see local events or find your nearest campaign office; a 'Call Friends' tool sorts your address book by priority, putting your contacts living in battleground states at the top of the list and letting you reach out to them with a single tap. Very sleek!

Even though there isn't an official McCain campaign application for the iPhone, the App Store has plenty of election-themed apps for voters of either the red or blue persuasion. However you plan to make your voice heard this year, let us give you a gentle reminder that if you're an American citizen over 18, you need to make certain that you're registered to vote.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.


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We're officially a nonpartisan bunch here at TUAW (actually, quite partisan, but only for the Mac) but the announcement of an official...
 

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Mike Schau

He is right and it IS socialism we are facing if Obama Rama gets elected. You have been warned.

October 08 2008 at 1:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joel

Late comments never get noticed here... : )

How do I get a picture and a new password?

October 08 2008 at 11:07 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joel

people talk about how Obama is more Mac ish and Hillary was PC ish, well... This apps color schemes remind me of windows XP. The green donate button on the blue bar at the bottom.

It's gotta be subliminal to replace the "Start" button with a "Donate" button. It's already the first place people want to click.

October 03 2008 at 9:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Benson Leung

Matt.

"When 60% of new voters vote one way, do you really think that's their ultimate goal? If so, I got a bridge to sell you."

Then by your logic, anyone who is yelling DO NOT VOTE, or trying to prevent the voting population from changing in form is really trying to get the other guy to win... one could make the argument that that's what you're trying to do.

But lets be serious here. Apathy and cynicism of the political system is not a legitimate political stance. Apathy and cynicism is submission to the system... a conceit that you mean nothing, so you should do nothing.

My father lived in this country for 30 years, and never voted because he thought that politicians were corrupt and racist. Even if that were true, by not voting, I felt he conceded that he was powerless in the face of The System.

In my book, apathy is just letting the system steamroll over you. You may not have much representation in the way we vote, but we have SOME representation.

October 03 2008 at 9:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Benson Leung's comment
Matt

I am not telling anyone not to vote. I'm questioning the motives of those who tell others to vote. Those who make the easy process of registering and remembering to vote even easier have a motive. Do they think people who care about their society are too stupid to figure it out for themselves?

Aren't we free to be cynical and apathetic, or just ignorant? Watch reality TV and tell me those people know anything about the issues affecting this country.

Do I have to vote in every single election, every issue, whether it would benefit me or not? Are you going to force me? Watch over my shoulder??

What happened to the value of freedom in this country? That should always be the top priority, no matter what.

October 03 2008 at 12:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
RR

Does the app tell us how many decades it'll be before any candidate from either of the two major parties figures out what the 9th and the 10th amendments mean?

October 02 2008 at 9:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Charles R Hamilton

Socialism is now wireless! Awesome.

October 02 2008 at 9:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
3 replies to Charles R Hamilton's comment
Franz Gruswitz

"What is the point of "watering down" the vote with people who don't really care that much? "

The issue isn't watering down he vote. It's trying to get people involved in society, more hopeful and engaged. Sure many people vote uninformed, but many more vote misinformed. A healthy active electorate and a vigorous debate cannot be a bad thing for this country. Personally I think if so many people didn't give up on our political system then we would not have so many idiots in Washington and less corrupt influence.

Regardlessly, I really impressed with the online efforts of the Obama campaign. Whether you like his politics or not you have to admire the impressive organization of his campaign. It's a real game changer.

October 02 2008 at 9:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Franz Gruswitz's comment
Matt

Regardlessly?

There is no such thing as misinformed. There are just suckers. Change. Hope. Real Change. Real Hope. Blah blah blah

"It's trying to get people involved in society, more hopeful and engaged"

When 60% of new voters vote one way, do you really think that's their ultimate goal? If so, I got a bridge to sell you.

October 03 2008 at 1:54 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Matt

If there's one thing that gets my blood boiling it's people telling other people to vote. Be it celebrities, bloggers, Google, MTV, ACORN... it's like we're all a bunch of idiots who can't figure out we live in a democracy.

What is the point of "watering down" the vote with people who don't really care that much? Unless you think the person who might forget to vote is actually more inclined to vote the way you do, or you believe that voting magically makes someone a "good citizen" that will improve society, there really is no point to tell others to vote.

All you have to do to get people to vote is to have them look at their own tax return, which a big chunk of the population doesn't have to worry about. Maybe there's a correlation between those who don't vote and those who don't pay taxes. The taxpayer has to pay every year and only gets to vote every four... Think about that. Then think how groups like Rock-the-Vote may be offensive to taxpayers.

October 02 2008 at 8:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
9 replies to Matt's comment
mark

I hear the McCain app is called CarpetBagger? Can anyone confirm? It's ok John, I'm really on your side unfortunately. Just another lesser of two evils contest again...

October 02 2008 at 8:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
frank

i installed this right away earlier this afternoon, and it is indeed a very nice app. i'm impressed how on top of things the obama campaign is -- savvy about technology and all.

October 02 2008 at 8:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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