For those of you not familiar with Square here’s the short form – Square is a combination iPhone dongle and software app that allows people to make credit card payments with an iPhone and apparently it is gaining some traction in political campaigning circles thanks to President Obama’s re-election organizers.

The campaign is outfitting its staff, field organizers and volunteers with the Square hardware so that they can accept donations for Obama’s re-election while on the go.

Touted as a major time-saver and boon for canvassers Square is providing field staff with greater flexibility not to mention the fact that this will be a huge boost to the credibility of the Square payment system. While Square has been used in smaller regional election campaigns POLITICO notes that this is the first national campaign to adopt the system.

It should also be noted that Square could do quite nicely financially from this move by the Obama re-election campaign as the company will be making 2.75 percent for each card swipe payment.

via GigaOM / image courtesy of Square

Used by the Obama campaign Square enters the fundraising circle is a post from: The Inquisitr

We all know that Facebook is a tad on the popular side but an interesting, and saddening, fact has emerge out of an announced partnership between the social network and Washington-base Politico as we head into a new presidential election cycle.

It turns out that there are more US citizens using Facebook than voted in the last presidential election that sent Barak Obama to the White House. This is the reasoning behind the partnership between Politcio and Facebook as they try and track voter sentiment during the 2012 presidential race.

Joel Kaplan, the vice president of U.S. Public Policy at Facebook had this to say regard the partnership:

This highly competitive primary season has demonstrated that technologies like Facebook enhance the connections and conversations that are happening every day between voters and the presidential candidates. Whether they are voting in early primaries, or just talking about the election, the candidates, and the issues with their friends and family, millions of Americans are actively engaged in the 2012 campaign. We’re pleased those conversations are happening on Facebook and that leading news sources like POLITICO are helping drive healthy discussion and debate.

via The Next Web

Politico has published the first findings of how the political candidates are fairing on Facebook

The fact that more people would rather play Farmville and share photos instead of becoming involved in the political process of electing a President is a sad state of affairs in my opinion.

More US citizens use Facebook than voted in last Presidential election and we wonder why government sucks is a post from: The Inquisitr

This is one survey that US President Barack Obama wouldn’t want to see.

Despite the highly-spirited speech he delivered to Congress presenting his jobs bill, the President is starting the fall with 32% or one-third of Americans giving him positive ratings. That is the same ratings he had at the end of summer. Two-thirds or 68% gave him negative ratings.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,462 adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive.

Why the negativity from those who were surveyed? Here are the issues that Americans feel the government should address: economy (27%); healthcare (17%); budget deficit (13%); budget and government spending (11%); and taxes and social security (7%).

There is some consolation to this survey but let’s have one more disturbing result. If the election for president were to be held today, over half of Americans (53%) say they would be unlikely to vote for Barack Obama while 39% say they would be likely to vote for him.

Okay, now for the better part of the survey. The President is doing a better job than Congress. Right now, almost all Americans (94%) have a negative view of the overall job Congress is doing and just 6% give them positive ratings.

See, everything’s not lost. Besides, election results will judge if this survey holds true.

Almost Half of Americans Do Not Think President Obama Will be Re-Elected is a post from: The Inquisitr

An Ohio McDonald’s sent an upsetting, intimidating letter to employees, suggesting that if they dared to not vote Republican, it could affect their salary and benefits.

The franchisee sent the letter along with paychecks on official McDonald’s stationery, outlining which three specific candidates employees should select if they hope to continue feeding their children. The letter begins:

“As the election season is here we wanted you to know which candidates will help our business grow in the future. As you know, the better our business does it enables us to invest in our people and our restaurants. If the right people are elected we will be able to continue with raises and benefits at or above our present levels. If others are elected we will not. “

Think Progress points out that the letter, which goes on to suggest employees vote for three Republican candidates, directly contradicts voter intimidation laws in Ohio, and spoke with a lawyer about the insinuations made by the McDonald’s franchisee:

“This is an outrageous attack on one of the most fundamental rights our citizens enjoy – the right to vote for the candidate of his/her choice without economic fear or threat,” states attorney Allen Schulman who is investigating the matter. “It is particularly egregious that in this time of harsh economic conditions, a corporation would stoop to this level of voter intimidation.”

Owner Paul Siegfried has since apologized for his “error in judgment” and any “offense” he may have caused.

[via Gawker]

McDonald’s: Vote Republican, or else is a post from: The Inquisitr

It would be hard for a cynical person to not question the sudden announcement of a major speed improvement of a national broadband initiative, even before it has started to be built, just 10 days before a national election; but this is the case in Australia.

Today Prime Minister Julia Gillard, along with Communication Minister Stephen Conroy, were on hand at the official launch of the Australian national fibre-optic broadband network where Senator Conroy revealed that the $43 billion plan will now be able to deliver 1 gigabit speed rather than the original 100 Mbps as planned.

When questioned about the radical speed increase Senator Conroy stated that he only informed of the increase last night. There were also questions about this all happening just ten days before the national election and has become a contentious point between the the current government and the opposition lead by Tony Abbott.

Ms Gillard used the NBN launch to attack the Coalition’s decision to scrap it.

“I am completely determined that we will build the NBN,” she said.

“I will build the NBN. Mr Abbott, if he is elected as PM will not. That decision would cost Australia jobs.”

The Government says the NBN will provide fibre-optic connections to 93 per cent of the population. The remainder would receive wireless or satellite technology.

The Coalition also revealed its broadband policy this week, pledging to spend $6 billion to deliver internet speeds of up to 100Mbps to 97 per cent of Australians through a range of technologies.

The Coalition has vowed to dump the NBN because it says it is too expensive and it does not support a nationally owned network.

Source: ABC News (Australia)

image courtesy of AAP: Alan Porritt

Internet access speed become political carrot in Australian election is a post from: The Inquisitr