If you have an iPhone, you can get the Super PAC App which will allow you to get information about the political ads that are swamping your TV. You’ll need to hold your iPhone up to the TV set for about twelve seconds while the ad is playing.
The app uses audio recognition technology to obtain information on who’s behind the ad and how much money they’ve spent.
The linked article doesn’t mention whether this app can also smoke out the so-called “charity” organizations — e.g. Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS — that aren’t required to reveal their donors. But I would assume the audio recognition technology works the same way, regardless of whether the ad is from a Super PAC or a tax-exempt “charity” organization.
It’s also unclear — to me anyway — whether this technology actually reveals people’s names, or just provides the usual “this ad was paid for by Concerned Americans for Healthy Children.”
Either way, it’s a start. Technology keeps improving, and at some point these anonymous millionaires won’t be able to hide under a rock while they’re purchasing politicians and rigging elections.
If a telegraph was good for ma grandpappy, it's good enough for me.
ReplyDeleteHa, Randal's gpappy had the telegraph. The Indians used smoke signals and liked it. There is a Monty Python reference for everything isn't there?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo
If the actual donors to what are cynically referred to as charitable organizations are not disclosed to the FEC, no amount of audio recognition is going to reveal them on your iPhone. What you probably get is the name of the "charitable" organization.
ReplyDeleteAll that and it will tell me the location of the next Burger King too
ReplyDeleteClever us Americans
Erik
Randal: A megaphone is good enough for me.
ReplyDeleteJess: LOL. I haven't seen that one before.
SW: You're probably right. I'm always the hopeless optimist. [sigh]
Erik: That's more important than a bunch of political drivel.