Late Spending FRENZY fueled Senate Race {MASS}

[Land Shark]

Source: Boston Globe

Candidates and groups that supported them spent nearly $23 million on Tuesday’s US Senate election, burning through nearly all of it in the frenzied final three weeks of the contest, including $8.5 million on television advertising alone during the seven days leading up to the vote.

A flood of national money propelled Republican Scott Brown’s historic upset of Democrat Martha Coakley in the race for the seat long held by Edward M. Kennedy. Brown’s triumph helped tip the balance of power in Washington, giving Senate Republicans enough votes to block Democratic initiatives.

The explosion of late spending was all the more remarkable because the campaign lacked excitement until the last 10 days, when polls showed it tightening, the national ramifications became clear, and a torrent of money poured into the Bay State as never before. Only a few weeks earlier, both campaigns were running on fumes after winning their respective primaries.

The money allowed the campaigns and their allies to target voters with a relentless assault of political messaging, from the barrage of “robo calls’’ on their voice mail, text messages on their cellphones, e-mails on their computers, direct-mail fliers, and wall-to-wall ads - many of the attack variety - on their television sets, plus many more on radio. Brown also spent about $500,000 on newspaper ads across the state the Sunday and Monday before the election.



Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/24/late_spending_surge_fueled_senate_race/

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Brown raised a MILLION dollars a DAY toward the end - so much he couldn't spend it all, even after blowing $500,000 on newspapers on Sunday and Monday alone.

Less than 36 hours after the polling places closed, the US Supreme Court legalized corruption and bribery in politics (for corporations) while it kept individuals who donate to candidates and parties subject to existing legal limits, as well as full regulation in effect before "Citizens" "United."

Technically, if you have five or ten million dollars, you too can have your own "independent" ad campaign just like the corporations. :sarcasm:

[handmade34]

1. shoots down Kennedy's argument

[2 Much Tribulation]

2. can you specify the argument? n/t

[handmade34]

6. no proof??

"Justice Anthony M. Kennedy noted... that no evidence was marshaled in 100,000 pages of legal briefs to show that unrestricted campaign money ever bought a lawmaker’s vote."

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf

edit quote yesterday's NYT

[2 Much Tribulation]

11. Yeah, that's the crux of their attack: No such thing as a bribe. Right

Nearly everything has a price. Haven't the Supreme Court justices seen the Robert Redford million dollar movie? ;)

[aquart]

21. Kennedy needs to be tested for senility.

A statement like that is proof of an unsound mind.

[KamaAina]

24. But it sure bought a lot of voters' votes

to elect an industry-friendly candidate. :eyes:

[Captain Hilts]

3. That's the way the system works. Obama did the same thing to his opponents. nt

[2 Much Tribulation]

12. Obama didn't have a last minute undiscloseable rush of cash

and besides, you beg the question of the propriety and the legality of it. One could describe the mafia and say "That's the way the system works. Guido did the same thing to his opponents."

[Captain Hilts]

15. You're writing too much into my statement. nt

[boomerbust]

4. Chicken feed

Compared to what is coming this summer.

[2 Much Tribulation]

13. Maybe. But the "beauty" of it is corpse don't NEED to spend huge to DETER BIG TIME

Like, who's gonna go after Big Pharma NOW - given their ability to bury their opposition in Congress?

[givemebackmycountry]

5. Gee, it's almost like they KNEW what was coming the following week....

Nah, that could never happen...

[GinaMaria]

7. Don't know about you but

I received requests from the democratic party to give to whats-her-face's campaign. I certainly did not donate. In fact, I took the opportunity to unsubscribe to the democratic party and declare myself an independent. I do not support republicrats. I could not bring myself to give money to the repuke candidate, but I do have hope that his election means the death of the crappy HCR bill.

The HCR bill AKA the Insurance Company Bailout bill, needs to die. It is an abomination. It puts the financial burden on those who will least benefit from it. We can and should do much better. Mass. is an opportunity to make this a bill for working people, not an excuse to ram through the garbage that is in the current bill. I really hope they take the time to do this right.

[madokie]

8. Lets get it passed and fix it later is bullshit too

that happened in '93 best I remember, Nafta I think it was.

[GinaMaria]

10. I agree. Why is this on a fast track?

The dems made big promises to big insurance companies and also took some big money from them too. They are expected to deliver for their masters. They have no financial interest in 'fixing' this bill.

[2 Much Tribulation]

14. And especially NOW, reforming Ins Cos means multimillion dollar Swift Boat attacks n/t

[GinaMaria]

16. yep. The dems face a tough decision

go against the insurance companies and get swift boated in the next election, or go against the people and get voted out of office. I know which one I would choose. If I'm going down, I'm going down on the right side. But human nature is to have it both ways, I guess :shrug: At least that's how it looks from where I'm standing.

[Jackpine Radical]

22. The Obama solution seems to be

Rant loudly about regulation and reform, then do the bidding of the corporations. That way, with any luck, you trick the masses into thinking you're on their side, and you keep the big bucks flowing.

[GinaMaria]

23. doesn't seem to be working and there's still plenty of time to turn

things around and head into a new direction.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. Yes, I certainly hope so.

I get yelled at around here a lot for calling out the Admin on their welshing, and people seem to think that I take some kind of delight in seeing them get slapped around for their pandering. That is not what I'm about. I would like nothing better than for this administration to take a hard left turn, go for a public option, retool their thinking on Afghanistan, initiate serious regulatory reforms where needed, and so on. I will be the first one in line to trumpet a fanfare for them, get out my street shoes to go door to door, and start saving up my meager pennies to give to the re-election campaign until it hurts.

I want to get back to the excitement, hope, and downright giddiness I experienced for the 1st 8 months or more of the new administration.

[GinaMaria]

27. Me too. How did they get so off track?

[onethatcares]

9. sounds about right to me.,

spend millions on a job that pays less than 200K a year. And they call it "public service".

Face it folks, the party is definitely over.

[Guilded Lilly]

17. A Helluva lot of money can

buy a helluva lot of mediocrity
and herd a helluva lot of sheep.

[handmade34]

18. like your analogy

as a former sheep farmer... money can buy you sheep

[Land Shark]

19. But how much is enough to fleece the flock?

[Little Star]

20. Didn't the SCOTUS decision come after the MA race?

[AlinPA]

25. Those numbers indicate to me that to consider $100M to a republican candidate from

corporations pooling their money is not hard to believe at all.

[One_Life_To_Give]

28. Numbers break down to about even

Coakley Campaign - $5.1 million
Democratic Committee - $4.3 million
Private funds for Coakley - $1.8 million
Total -$11.2 million

Brown Campaign - $8.7 million
Repub Committee - $0.0
Private funds for Brown - $2.7 million
Total -$11.4 million


Surprisingly even.
Side benefit may be that there is now talk of a Do Not Call list being created to stop the damn robo-calls. Nobody needs 20 calls over 2 days to remind them to go vote.