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The NPR Politics Podcast

It Takes Big Bucks To Run A Campaign

Jan 30, 2024
Guests Sarah McCammon, Susan Davis, and Domenico Montanaro discuss the staggering campaign spending in elections, including Nikki Haley's $81.1 million expenditure. They highlight the role of campaign ads, super PACs, and the lack of enforcement. The fundraising numbers and spending of President Biden's campaign are also analyzed. The influence of billionaires in politics and the ethical concerns surrounding campaign funds are explored. Additionally, financial investments in congressional and gubernatorial races are compared to the presidential election, with limited prospects for campaign finance reform discussed.
19:15

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Super PACs play a significant role in campaign spending, raising unlimited funds and running attack ads against opposing candidates.
  • Massive amounts of money are being spent in the 2024 election cycle, predominantly by super PACs, but ultimately money may not drastically alter the outcome of the race.

Deep dives

The Influence of Money in Elections

The podcast episode delves into the exorbitant amounts of money being spent on political campaigns in the United States, specifically in the 2024 election cycle. In 2020, a record-breaking $9 billion was spent on ads for elections, and this number is expected to climb even higher in 2024. The episode explores the sources of funding and highlights the distinction between official campaign committees and super PACs. While campaign committees have more stringent rules regarding disclosure and individual donation limits, super PACs can accept unlimited sums and spend unlimited amounts of money. The episode emphasizes that while there are technical rules against coordination between campaign committees and super PACs, the lines are often blurred, and political associates closely aligned with candidates often run and staff super PACs. The money spent on campaigns primarily goes towards ads, which help increase name recognition and move the needle in public opinion. Negative ads are often funded by super PACs, while candidates' own campaigns tend to run more positive messages. However, while money does play a critical role in politics, it may not ultimately determine the outcome of a race. The podcast notes that candidates need a certain amount of money to compete, but there is a point at which even massive amounts of money won't significantly alter the direction of the race. Small dollar donors also play a role in gauging support for candidates, and their contributions collectively signify grassroots energy and momentum.

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