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So It Doesn't Bother Anyone That Over 90% of the Winning Candiates...

Seawytch

Information isnt Advocacy
Aug 5, 2010
42,407
7,739
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Peaking out from the redwoods
...Are the ones with the most money?

91% of the time the better-financed candidate wins

how-money-won-congress_5318eb0e730bd_w540.gif


The chart analyzes 467 congressional races held in 2012. Its findings:
* Candidates who out-fundraised their opponents were nine times more likely to win elections in 2012.


* Winning congressional candidates outspent their opponents by about 20 to 1.

And in these latest midterms?


Money Won on Tuesday, But the Rules of the Game Have Changed

The real story of the election’s campaign finance chapter was not which side had more resources, but that such a large chunk of the cost was paid for by a small group of ultra-wealthy donors using outside groups to bury voters with an avalanche of spending. Both sides had plenty of support from outside spenders, but Republican and conservative outside groups outpaced the spending of Democratic and liberal ones. Democratic/liberal groups channeled most of their money through organizations that disclosed donors, while their more conservative counterparts relied heavily on secret sources funneling money through political nonprofits.

Some things seem never to change, and this year’s midterms reprised many of the same old stories. But there were also a handful of surprises, some of which may portend new dynamics in how elections are financed.

Every election since 1998 has been more expensive than the one before it, and predictably the 2014 election will follow that path, CRP has projected — though the total projected cost of $3.67 billion is only a slight uptick over the price tag of the 2010 midterm. Counting all forms of spending — by candidates, parties and outside groups — Team Red is projected to have spent $1.75 billion, while Team Blue’s spending is projected to ring in at $1.64 billion.​

CRP’s analysis of last night’s results finds that in House races, the candidate who spent the most prevailed 94.2 percent of the time; the Senate figure is slightly lower, 81.8 percent. Despite several key upsets of Senate Democrats who, as incumbents, had the cash advantage, this is actually an increase from 2012, when 93.8 percent of higher-spending candidates in the House won, and just 75.8 percent of those candidates in the Senate could claim victory.​

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ter-in-elections-this-chart-says-youre-wrong/
 
When Barack Obama raised a record breaking billion dollars that was OK. When he welched on his agreement to take gov't funds and be bound by restrictions, that was OK.
BUt now the GOP has won and suddenly money makes politiics dirty.
Seriously?
Hey maybe now you believe money is speech.
 
I think it bothers everyone to certain extent but really addressing the problem makes anyone elected to national office seem hypocritical or afraid it might cost them an advantage. There is no electoral solution to the problem of money in politics, the big money has made sure of that.
 
I think it bothers everyone to certain extent but really addressing the problem makes anyone elected to national office seem hypocritical or afraid it might cost them an advantage. There is no electoral solution to the problem of money in politics, the big money has made sure of that.
There's an easy solution. Go back to the 1A that says Congress can make no law abridging free speech. Since money is speech, all laws restricting campaign finance are unconstitutional.
 
...Are the ones with the most money?

91% of the time the better-financed candidate wins

how-money-won-congress_5318eb0e730bd_w540.gif


The chart analyzes 467 congressional races held in 2012. Its findings:
* Candidates who out-fundraised their opponents were nine times more likely to win elections in 2012.


* Winning congressional candidates outspent their opponents by about 20 to 1.

And in these latest midterms?


Money Won on Tuesday, But the Rules of the Game Have Changed

The real story of the election’s campaign finance chapter was not which side had more resources, but that such a large chunk of the cost was paid for by a small group of ultra-wealthy donors using outside groups to bury voters with an avalanche of spending. Both sides had plenty of support from outside spenders, but Republican and conservative outside groups outpaced the spending of Democratic and liberal ones. Democratic/liberal groups channeled most of their money through organizations that disclosed donors, while their more conservative counterparts relied heavily on secret sources funneling money through political nonprofits.

Some things seem never to change, and this year’s midterms reprised many of the same old stories. But there were also a handful of surprises, some of which may portend new dynamics in how elections are financed.

Every election since 1998 has been more expensive than the one before it, and predictably the 2014 election will follow that path, CRP has projected — though the total projected cost of $3.67 billion is only a slight uptick over the price tag of the 2010 midterm. Counting all forms of spending — by candidates, parties and outside groups — Team Red is projected to have spent $1.75 billion, while Team Blue’s spending is projected to ring in at $1.64 billion.​

CRP’s analysis of last night’s results finds that in House races, the candidate who spent the most prevailed 94.2 percent of the time; the Senate figure is slightly lower, 81.8 percent. Despite several key upsets of Senate Democrats who, as incumbents, had the cash advantage, this is actually an increase from 2012, when 93.8 percent of higher-spending candidates in the House won, and just 75.8 percent of those candidates in the Senate could claim victory.​

It does bother me. This is the reason why most 3rd party candidates don't stand a chance. They don't have the funding that is provided to the major parties with their PAC organizations. Why don't we have caps on the amount of money candidates are allowed to spend on their campaigns?
 
Campaigns are a lot like the stock market, a person invests in the one they think is the best and can win. No one is going to invest in a poor candidate without much to offer. A company with a good future will get a lot of investors and the stock will rise. A candidate with a good future will get a lot of donors and his or her political stock will rise.

We just don't spend money on the unqualified.
 
I think it bothers everyone to certain extent but really addressing the problem makes anyone elected to national office seem hypocritical or afraid it might cost them an advantage. There is no electoral solution to the problem of money in politics, the big money has made sure of that.
There's an easy solution. Go back to the 1A that says Congress can make no law abridging free speech. Since money is speech, all laws restricting campaign finance are unconstitutional.
Do you also advocate putting out fires with gasoline?
 
Some suggestions:
1. A candidate may not collect any funds outside the geographic area he/she will represent. I.e. if you're running for a federal office to represent a state's constituency, no money from outside the state; if you're running for a state office, no money from outside the district you will represent; etc.
2. A candidate may spend no more on a campaign than they would earn for the office during the period for which they will serve. I.e. if a senator representing AK stands to earn say, $140,000/for six years, he/she may spend no more than $840,000 on their campaign.
3. Any excess contributions may be designated by the candidate as a contribution to a legitimate non-profit organization.
4. Limit the length of the campaign to some reasonable time, maybe 90 days? 6 months? Perhaps this way, our elected representatives would spend more time doing our business and less time perpetually campaigning.
NO PACs.
NO outside interference in local politics/affairs.
 
The Left has not utilized vast sums of money in politics, either?

Yes they do. Want to stop them? I want to stop the "dark money", the huge donations, the Super Pacs, etc. from everywhere and to anyone. I support a limit on donations. Donations, IMO, should be from individuals only, not secret and be a limited amount. You?
 
The Left has not utilized vast sums of money in politics, either?

Yes they do. Want to stop them? I want to stop the "dark money", the huge donations, the Super Pacs, etc. from everywhere and to anyone. I support a limit on donations. Donations, IMO, should be from individuals only, not secret and be a limited amount. You?

Didn't huge donations nourish the Left as well?
 
Some of that is a factor of crappy candidates dont attract it and the party bosses with hold too. Another part is less is spent in safe districts by opposong parties unless the safe office holder is vulnerable.
 
The Left has not utilized vast sums of money in politics, either?

Yes they do. Want to stop them? I want to stop the "dark money", the huge donations, the Super Pacs, etc. from everywhere and to anyone. I support a limit on donations. Donations, IMO, should be from individuals only, not secret and be a limited amount. You?

Didn't huge donations nourish the Left as well?

Again, yes...want to stop them?
 
The Left has not utilized vast sums of money in politics, either?

Yes they do. Want to stop them? I want to stop the "dark money", the huge donations, the Super Pacs, etc. from everywhere and to anyone. I support a limit on donations. Donations, IMO, should be from individuals only, not secret and be a limited amount. You?

Didn't huge donations nourish the Left as well?

Again, yes...want to stop them?

No. Neither do I want to complain since both sides do the exact same thing.
 

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