Square

"President Barack Obama is no stranger to fundraising: his 2008 campaign drew a record-shattering $750 million in donations, and many expect his reelection efforts will result in a colossal war chest exceeding $1 billion come November. To aid in that lofty endeavor, Politico reports that campaign staffers with Android and iPhone handsets will soon be wielding Square credit card readers for collecting contributions on the go. Square units will allegedly be distributed to both Obama for America employees and volunteers nationwide."

 

Good move, I use Square in my photo business - it basically turns any iPhone into a mobile credit card register. Square was started by Jack Dorsey of Twitter fame. When he first cranked it up, the establishment hated it as you can imagine... especially those companies that made big money off credit card transactions and selling expensive readers and software. While many credit card accounts cost lots of money every month, Square is free, and the transaction fees are low. Can you imagine how much money you can rake in with a coordinated campaign like this. Unlike his republican rivals whose campaigns are financed by huge companies, Obama's campaigns are financed mostly by millions of grass-roots supporters, so this fits in perfectly with collecting lots of small transactions from lots of people.

 

It’s generally a shame that politics means money these days, but with that horrible “Citizens United” ruling a couple years back, the game has tilted even more in the favor of those with powerful friends and SuperPACs. I find it heartening that this plan with Square gives more voice to the little people. The ones who carry this country on their backs.