Money does not win elections

[antiimperialist]

I see a new trend that consists of comparing the amount of money that each candidate has raised. Money helps, but does not necessarily win an election. There are too many factors to consider.

Barron's magazine's reputation fell to an all-time low after predicting that because of their money advantage, Republicans would keep their majority in both senate chambers in '06.
Look at these predictions by Barron's ahead of the last midterm elections:

[Warpy]

1. With Democrats, WHERE the money comes from is equally

important. Big donations from the wealthy few and the corporate are not going to trump many donations from ordinary folks.

We've always been a bottom up kind of party, not a follow the leader party.

[antiimperialist]

4. Didn't Dean lose despite donations from common folks?

I see a contradiction in your statement and the last Democratic primary.

[Warpy]

11. Sure, after the DLC supplied a cherrypicked video

to the RNC and media outlets.

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. Which "cherrypicked video" did the DLC supply?

:shrug:

[bullimiami]

2. money didnt win for the republicans in 2000, 02, 04

outright criminal activity did.

lack of money can sure sink a candidate though.

[blm]

15. But it did take money to suppress and steal the votes and rig voting machines.

All that activity had to cost big bucks - likely through OUR TAXMONEY - kickbacks on government contracts.

[bullimiami]

16. good point.

[question everything]

3. Four years ago, didn't Dean raise a lot of money

from small donors?

[w13rd0]

5. Yes, but the first primaries...

...being in Iowa and NH, not necessarily known for their diversity, didn't exactly help. Also, Kerry was pretty damn tight with Vilsack and his organization there. Plus, there was that deal with Gephardt, which surely didn't help.

[antiimperialist]

6. Not to mention the scream

The media told us that Howard Dean was a psycho because in a moment of joy and optimism, he screamed in order to motivate the crowd, even though this scream was muffled by the cheers of the crowd and had to be digitally isolated from the noise by the mainstream media in order to paint Dean as a lunatic.

And many Dem, voters, who are sheep, got turned off by this non-story.

[Kolesar]

8. Gephardt is now a lobbyist for Peabody Coal Company

I think he lost it when he backed bush's conquest of Iraq, but that was the ultimate insult. I used to think he was a good guy.

[Clarkie1]

7. Money cannot buy elections or happiniess, but sometimes it helps. nt

[rinsd]

9. 3 exceptions make the rule?

Here are the fundraising numbers for 2006.

You will find in race after race that fundraising advantage was way more often than not is with the winner.

http://www.opensecrets.org/races/index.as

I went up thru KY (alphabetically) and I count 10 House or Senate races out of over 100 where the candidate that did not raise the ost funds did not win.


As another poster said while money cannot buy you love or an election, it helps.

[OHdem10]

10. Money collected is not the only indicator

of who might wing. It gives a picture of those that
are connecting and have a chance.

In our System, the Money tells a candidate whether
he can campaign on or if they might soon drop out.

With all the large states moving primary dates
forward, this means a candidate has to have lote
of money to compete especially in a state like
California. Clinton Obama and Edwards secured
enough to go through the Primary. This does
not mean others should drop out right now. They
can work on--if something happens to one of the
top 3, one of them could move up very quickly.
In Politics , the picture can change over night.

[Forkboy]

13. Smart money says it does.

[Bake]

14. Money may not WIN elections, BUT

the LACK of money will surely LOSE one.

Bake

[AshevilleGuy]

17. Is this money coming from party regulars, or independents?

If the donations are mostly from regulars, they will vote for the nominee anyway, and the implications are that the amounts generated are not that meaningful in the general.

If they are mostly from independents to one party, THAT means something!!!!