A Voters Guide – 10 Facts about campaign finance
2. Money Doesn’t Win Elections
While money may help, it is not enough to win elections. If it were, Linda McMahon would be a Senator from Connecticut and Mitt Romney would be President of the United States. In fact, the candidate that spends less money wins about 40% of highly contested races. Overall it is true that the candidate with the most money stands a significant better chance, but winning the money race isn’t a guaranteed ticket to Washington.
However, limiting the amount every working American may contribute to candidates certainly doesn’t help less-funded candidates compete with those that have big money behind them. Big money can always find other ways to help a candidate, either legally or not, while the less-funded candidate is restricted on how much they can receive from their much smaller donor base.
And whether you’re a CEO of Walmart or an employee at a local deli, you have legally earned your money. Spending that money to support your political beliefs is your right as an American. Campaigning for money, while not an assurance of electoral victory, is a key component of the democratic process. It’s another way in which Americans compete in the political sphere. The battle over ideas necessitates a battle over the wallet and a battle over the media.
