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Romney breathes new life into Amazon's binder reviews

With his comment about having "binders full of women," the Republican presidential candidate stirs much online activity -- especially on Amazon.

2 min read
A sampling of the reviews of the Wilson Jones Basic Round Ring Binder. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

That's the thing about presidential debates.

You stir yourself up into indignation that you hope will come out as righteous. But your blood is boiling to such a degree that, despite weeks of rehearsals, some stray words emerge from your throat like convicts escaping Alcatraz.

Something for which Amazon is most grateful.

For the Republican candidate's suggestion that, while governor of Massachusetts, he was privileged to possess "binders full of women" has stirred people into leaving stirring comments on Amazon's binder pages.

NBC has trawled Amazon's pages with a certain glee in order to see what reviews consumers are leaving.

For example, Avery's no-doubt excellent View Binder with 2-inch Easy-Turn Ring, enjoys this troubled review: "What? Binders full of women? How ancient! We personally use an SD card. It holds much more women and you can put them into folders...and even sub folders!"

It is also privileged to this one:

GREAT product but I sure wish I was a woman and could be in one of these binders myself Avery Durable View Binder with 2 Inch EZ-Turn Ring, White, 1 Binder (17032). I bet it is a wonderful feeling to be so protected and sought after. I will recommend it to all my woman friends for sure.

But who could possibly ignore this, from Sandra Olsen "Insomniac":

I can't seem to find binders for Sharp Tongued Women...Anyone know where I could purchase them?"

Another binder with sudden fulsome review activity is the Filexec 3 Ring Binder.

Sample review from DaveyClayton:

Here at Romney HQ in Boston the clamor for binders is getting real deafening, so I ordered a four-pack of "Filexec 3 ring binders" in the forlorn hope that they would fit the bill. Outwardly these would make the ideal binder in which to keep women - brightly colored, sassy and individual with a modern feel! Sadly however they're still to small. Even with the littlest of America's most talented females, I found that legs, arms and heads still protruded. Admittedly these are Letter size, so I've doubled-down with an order of DIN A4 in case those extra millimeters help any. Stay tuned for the results

Though Amazon reviews are almost always entirely accurate and trustworthy, I don't believe that DaveyClayton works at Romney HQ. I suspect he's the sort of person who has great fun contributing such reviews and perhaps adding to the amusing BindersFullOfWomen Tumblr feed.

Though this is all huge and delightful fun, I wonder how many of the people who amuse themselves online in this way will also bother to state their preference in the voting booth.

What this election is likely to show is not necessarily an objective view of America's opinions.

Instead, it will be an indicator of how many Americans will lift themselves away from their laptops and game shows in order to exercise one of their most fundamental democratic rights.

Will there be laughter after Election Day? Or will the Amazon pages for, say, self-help books suddenly see a perplexing surge?