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So Just How Much Has Each Candidate Spent to Get Your Vote?

Oct. 26, 2012 12:19am Guest Post

[Editor’s note: The following is a cross post that originally appeared on CNBC.com]

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are spending a combined $26.86 every second this election cycle, as a binge of campaign spending deluges voters with rallies, banners, and of course, TV ads.

The figure comes from a grand total of nearly $1.5 billion spent by both sides just through September. And that works out to about $70 million per month, and more than $2.3 million every day, according to data provided by the Federal Election Commission.

No wonder both candidates spend so much time in fundraisers.

From January 2011 through September, the Obama campaign burned through over $470 million, with the Democratic National Committee spending another $255 million.

And the top three Obama Super PACs dumped in another $53.7 million. All that totals more than $775 million dollars spent — before the crucial election month of October.

On the Romney side, the campaign had spent $298 million in that same time frame, which was joined by $249 million by the Republican National Committee and $156.5 million from the top three Romney Super Pacs. All told, that’s more than $700 million.

The Obama team held the lead by about $75 million as of September.

Historically, these are big, big numbers.

In 1980, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan plus the DNC and RNC spent a combined $528 million in 2012-adjusted dollars. By 2000, that figure had jumped to $899 million in adjusted dollars.

That means the campaigns are spending a lot more per voter than they did years ago. Take a look at the math.

With more than $770 million in campaign and Super Pac spending for Obama this year, the forces supporting the president have spent about $5.33 per registered voter when you calculate using the total number or registered voters in the last campaign, which was just over 146.3 million.

Romney’s team, similarly, has spent about $4.81 per voter. Combined, that’s $10.14 per registered voter.

Compare that to how much it cost to reach registered voters in 1980: The $528 million spent by Reagan and Carter campaigns plus their parties reached fewer voters — 105 million registered voters. That made total spending over $5 per registered voter.

Twenty years later, George W. Bush and Al Gore and their party committees combined spent $899 million to reach that year’s nearly 130 million registered voters. That’s just under $7 per registered voter.

By our math, the cost to reach each voter in America has gone up consistently over the past three decades. There’s lesson in that for the campaigns and the fundraisers who push for ever more cash each year: that flood of money is causing political inflation. And that makes the constant reach for new fundraising records a self-fulfilling prophesy.

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Front page photo courtesy the AP.

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Comments (42)

deadend
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 10:57am
anyway to tell us how much comes from the illigal donatios from the web site for Obummer

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turkey13
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 11:01am
A person running for president should be limited to only spending $ 10 million bucks and ccan only campaign for the 6 months leading up to Nov. 6 th. Can you imagine the back scratching each of these guys owe. Obama started running for re-election in 2009. Congress people should be limited to A $ million bucks and the same 6 months before election time. Hillery Clinton spent $ 90 Million bucks and didn’t even spend 2 years as a Senator. These people need to run for their district not the whole country. Most Congress folks spend the last 2 years running for office.

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Individualism
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 8:20am
it doesn’t matter who votes, it matters who counts the votes.

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- NOFX
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 9:32am
  This is the first time I have read a semi-rational thought from you.
  
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NOFX
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 7:50am
It would be a nice gesture for whichever candidate that wins to reduce the deficit buy at least the amount they put into their campaign. I know roughly a billion dollar reduction wouldn’t really put a dent in the national debt but the presidential bar has been set pretty damn low and surely you can at least reduce it by that! I prefer a few trillion reduction per term but at least do that instead of blowing cash my unborn kids and their unborn kids don’t even have.

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Hoax And Chains
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 5:51am
Absolutely sickening that these people spend this much money, just as the presidential election level, for a position that pays what? All the while they tell you how in touch they are and concerned for the middle class. Anybody buying it?

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- Stiggs
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 6:14am
  To me, the amount of the money spent indicates that this was not just an election to choose a president but to change the course of the nation. I suppose that makes America an important piece of the puzzle.
  
  Report this comment
- MittensKittens
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 6:30am
  What’s more sick is it takes that to get the point across to mostly MORONIC Americans out there these days…Especially college kids. This group should not have the right to vote!
  
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- 4xeverything
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 7:28am
  I almost miis the three years when Obama was on vacation.
  
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Hoax And Chains
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 5:48am
Fix it now. All donations go to a central election fund. The money would be allotted evenly for each candidate, whether that candidate is Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, etc… All advertisements could be done through one internet site, a single multi-page mailer, and air time would be offered up in sections of points by one candidate with following counterpoints by the other candidates. The cost of such time could be claimed by the broadcasting network as a tax break for doing their “civic duty”. Debates would include ALL front running candidates. Not one cent goes to an individual candidate. PACS and other special interest groups would be made non-existent as no one candidate can receive assistance if that same assistance is not being given to all candidates. I am not sure if it covers everything, but this would be a huge start to eliminating the gross expenditures for campaigning and eliminate special interests in elections.

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Vladsmom
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 4:51am
If you can give me a smartass and cynical free answer, please do. What would have to take place to begin an effort to make the playing field even for those running/nominated for the presidency? And if not that, how would a citizen go about setting up a campaign time frame of about 6 months instead of 1 1/2 years? I got tired of paying that idiots salary while he galavants across the

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resme
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 3:09am
I wonder what the major contributors get in return? “Goldman Sachs” “JP Morgan”

Take me, Take me, Take me to the perfect world.

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The-Monk
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:57am
“So Just How Much Has Each Candidate Spent to Get Your Vote?”

I can honestly say that Dr. Ron Paul never gave me a single penny…..

Neither did Barack Obama or Mitt Romney.

So.. what’s your point? Who’s the winner in all of this? The followers of a community organizer?

Or the one’s that free the slaves of a community organizer? I chose the one’s that frees the so called slaves and not the one that continues slavery (which is the MSM and Obama).

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- resme
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 3:04am
  rupaul kook alert
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 8:50am
  “…..$10.14 per registered voter”
  
  if Romney had just given me the $10, i’d be more enthusiastic about voting for him…..
  
  Report this comment
justangry
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:51am
With all that money being spent, neither was able to convince me they worth my vote.

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- TEXASGRANNY73
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 4:48am
  Funny. Money can’t buy me love,no,no,no,no,no. Nor my vote. Romney had it for free. All he had to do was win the primaries. Yep. And proud of it. I am an American and the one gift I was given at my birth was to be born an American and that precious vote. Thanks Washington Adams Jefferson John Q. Adams Madison Monroe Hancock Franklin Henry Lincoln Kennedy Ford Reagan Bush father Bush son. I would NEVER throw it away and allow others to decide without me. And thank you, God for that unalienable right to life liberty and pursuit of happiness.
  
  Report this comment
- justangry
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 6:19am
  You can’t honestly say Romney support our rights.
  
  Report this comment
- circleDwagons
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 11:23am
  Romney could have had my vote if he would just have recognized all republican delegates and would have have had the ****** to let Dr. PAUL address the convention.
  
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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:09pm
  @TexasGranny
  You dishonor the founders by voting for whatever kind of tyrant the republicans nominate every 4 years
  
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LeadNotFollow
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:47am
.
All that money could have fed, clothed, and housed a lot of needy American kids, and could have given them a great Christmas too.

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- TEXASGRANNY73
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 4:59am
  Good grief, who do you think received that money? Radio net tv graphics hotels planes offices mail autos gas this site food suppliers printers people people people and people have kids kids kids.
  
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ThankBabyJesus
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:43am
holy mackerel-snappers

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The-Monk
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:11am
Gasoline costs about $3.60 per gallon so I figure at 1/4 gal to burn down each of my Romney yard signs they are losing about $1.2T per year.

Union math is as bad as Obama math. Both only go to 7th grade.

Hey, Obama said so himself on Jay Leno….. Go figure.

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- The-Monk
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:16am
  Hey…. don’t shoot the messenger.
  
  Shoot the Harvard Law Professor that can’t do math past 7th grade. : (
  
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Jenasus
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:01am
The elections are a scam.
All the Presidential candidates should have an equal amount of time and money to express their opinions and ideas.
Romney and Obama are only two of the six people running for President.
The corrupt two party system of Democrats and Republicans never lets another party have a fair chance of being elected.
Both the Democrat and Republican parties are controlled by Wall Street, Secret Societies, Gangster Banksters, Special Interest Groups and other corrupt inbred people.

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- Pouncing Porcupine
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:20am
  Did you just arrive from Mars? The world has always been and will always be run by the rich. Seriously, you need help. It’s time you focused on the things in the world which you can effect, such as your day to day life. The party establishments will always determine the TWO candidates we get to choose from. Gary Johnson, and whoever the hell else you are refering to will never ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER be elected President of the United States, no matter how much you and a million other people snivel about it. Mitt Romney will be a good president. I didn’t vote for him in the primary, but in retrospect I should have. He is the figurehead the country needs right now to rally us out of the Obamafunk we’ve been stuck in since ’09. On November 7th, the country is going to collectively unclinch its sphincter, and begin to heal from a very destructive assault it has suffered. I predict a recovery so fast it will make your head swim.
  
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- Jenasus
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:58am
  We will know by November 6th who the next puppet will be for the Luciferian New World Order.
  Anyone but Obama will be good but anyone but Obama or Romney would be better.
  The way I see it is the Demoncrats are Fear Mongering Idiots and the Republicons are War Mongering Idiots.
  
  Report this comment
The-Monk
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 1:47am
“So Just How Much Has Each Candidate Spent to Get Your Vote?”

Not a dime or a plug nickel as far as I can see.

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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:11pm
  thats because you give it freely based on association. there is a term for that…..
  
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SCREW-WINDOWS
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 1:08am
Well it’s a heck of a lot better odds than the lottery.

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Wool-Free Vision
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 12:59am
On me,

Romney/Ryan $4.81 = well-spent, but unnecessary

Obama/Biden $5.33 = Big Bird urinating into the wind

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Female
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 12:53am
Cost by state would be very interesting!

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ModerationIsBest
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 12:49am
Ah, I love the smell of Democracy…..it smells a lot like money.

We’re back baby, U-S-A! U-S-A!

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soybomb315_II
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 12:38am
The third party candidates are getting votes without spending a nickel

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- The-Monk
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 2:01am
  So true…..and they are never on the ballots….
  
  Go figure..
  
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- TEXASGRANNY73
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 5:10am
  @SB and the Monk And they never win.
  
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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 1:13pm
  @Monk
  “and they are never on the ballots”
  
  I swear you are getting less smart every day. For instance, Gary Johnson will be on the ballot in 48 to 50 states – so what are you talking about????
  
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Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 12:33am
Give me the $10.14 for a pack of Smokes and a beer and I will stay home.

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Barry Soetoro
Posted on October 26, 2012 at 12:27am
Let me be perfectly clear, I’ve spent blood, treasure and tore up the Constitution. None of which I really care about at all.

It’s good to be King!

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- Husband_Beater
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 1:21am
  STFU or I’ll kick your Kenyan derriere at home!!!
  
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- Abongo Obama
  Posted on October 26, 2012 at 1:46am
  Hey you Wookie!!!…he’s the fake Indonesian prince…..he wasn´t raised with us in Kenya!!!!
  
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