Super PACs and Powerful Million Dollar Plus Donors Plow Money Into Elections Changing Landscape

Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Thanks to Rick Hasen at the incredible Election Law Blog for posting a fascinating story published by the California newspaper, the Orange County Register by author Ronald Campbell. Once again it turns out that Super PACs are the culprit of massive political spending by wealthy individuals on a scale that has altered the direction of the elections. Huge money spent on advertising, particularly television advertisements, are having a considerable impact.  Take a look at this excerpt from the article:

The Orange County Register analyzed Federal Elections Commission data, combining contributions for the two official committees and the two super PACs, through June 30. We found:

• 24 people have given $1 million or more — 200 times the official limit — to one of the presidential super PACs, 10 to the Obama group and 14 to Romney’s group.

• About 23 percent of the money flowing to Romney, $44 million, has come in donations of $50,000 or greater. Just 5 percent of Obama’s donations are that large.

Obama is still dependent on his traditional base of small donors. Just over half of his money comes from small, unitemized donations of $200 or less. About 13 percent of Romney’s money is unitemized.

Roughly a third of Romney’s total take has flowed to his super PAC. Obama has gotten 94 percent of his money from his official committee, where donations are strictly limited. That implies Obama’s current financial lead will disappear soon and that Romney ultimately will outspend him.

According to Wikipedia a Super PAC (political action committee) is only the latest incarnation of the so called PACs:

A political action committee (PAC) is any organization in the United States that campaigns for or against political candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation.  At the federal level, an organization becomes a PAC when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election, according to the Federal Election Campaign Act. At the state level, an organization becomes a PAC according to the state’s election laws.