Romney to announce veep pick via app

Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign released an app that promises to give users a first look at the candidate’s vice presidential pick. Assuming that the press doesn't get wind of the news first, users of “Mitt’s VP App,” available for iPhone and Android, will get the name of Romney's choice nanoseconds before it is broadcast to the wider public.

“There’s no telling when Mitt will choose his VP,” reads the promo copy, “But when he does, be the first to find out with the Mitt’s VP app.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, frequently mentioned as a possible vice presidential nominee, tweeted his support of the app late on Tuesday morning.

The app works with Facebook and with the Romney campaign website, and includes a page of tweets from the candidate. A “donate” button inside the app connects users to a secure mobile web page for entering credit card information.

It’s not clear whether the app will be repurposed for the general campaign once the vice presidential news is released. The Romney campaign’s first effort at a mobile app went viral for reasons not intended by the candidate – its misspelling of America as “Amercia.”

Romney is not the first candidate to try to harness technology in the rollout of a vice presidential pick. In 2008, the Obama campaign announced the selection of Joe Biden as the No. 2 on the Democratic ticket via a text message to supporters. Despite the campaign's best efforts to get the first word on the pick, the news leaked out in the media hours before a planned official announcement, leading the campaign to send its text at 3 a.m. Eastern Time ahead of during a rally later that day.