Trump's re-election campaign spent $50.3 million in June, Biden's presidential campaign spent $36.9 million

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/07/20/trumps-re-election-campaign.html

2 Likes

I see Dumpf ads here on Boing Boing. I think he’s wasting money.

6 Likes

He has a real chance of winning. Not great news, I know.

Meg Whitman tried to buy an election and it did not turn out so great for her. I think some portion of voters are really turned off by this tactic. But I believe being an incumbent makes him exempt from this unwritten rule.

Honestly promising to show his taxes, then making excuses for over 4 years shows just how little voters care about a candidate’s behavior.

3 Likes

I see the PA ads and trump is doling out the grimmest darkest pile of lies that he has belched forth during his entire presidency – he is a vile being and I can not wait till he is gone.

9 Likes

Putting children in concentration camps…
Sending the secret police to disappear protesters…
Retweeting actual Nazis…

shows just how little voters care about a candidate’s behavior.

10 Likes
4 Likes

His supporters wanted all of those things. It’s why they voted for him. His whole campaign was built on bigotry and he delivered. It’s why they’ll vote for him again in November even as they die from an unchecked pandemic.

8 Likes

That’s very on-brand for him.

2 Likes

Well the people who wanted those things voted for him, and they are his strongest supporters. But they don’t constitute everybody that voted for him and they aren’t enough to get him re-elected unless many, many people stay home like 2016. Even though Biden generates the appeal of cold oatmeal, people have seen enough of Truimp that he generates enough revulsion that people are less inclined to stay home.

Of course Trump’s “Kung flu is nothing to worry about” messaging dovetails with “Mail in voting is a FRAUD, everybody should vote in person,” to encourage his base to go out to vote while others stay home for their safety.

1 Like

Is there any breakdowns on what they’re spending on?

Things like ads vs staff vs facilities or events.

It looks like Trump spent $13 million more than Biden in June. But, without details, for all we know Trump used all of that $13 million or more on facility fees or staff fees directly to himself or family at excessive rates.

Campaign spend has always been a poor measure, but it’s even worse when one of the candidates is spending the money to pay their own businesses and capture excessive profits.

1 Like

I feel that Biden should follow Burr’s advice from Hamilton…

3 Likes

I dislike a lot of things about the American (and I suppose, world) political system, but the fact that the amount of money you spend is somehow relevant to your electability is at the very top of my list.

2 Likes

A lot of the corruption and waste and societal trauma associated with the American political system could be solved if campaigning was limited to a 6-8 week period, as in many other OECD countries. But given SCOTUS rulings like Citizens United I doubt we’ll see an end to the endless campaign and fundraising season anytime soon.

4 Likes

Sadly, that is going to be true for a number of them. His falling poll numbers show that a number of them have left him though, and the Republican party seems to be trying to figure out how to cut ties with the man who is, essentially, the head of their party.

Scarier still are the people who do care and like it.

1 Like

The real lesson here is that merely spending money is not as important as how you spend it. A lot of the money is being spent just to win at least one metric, a whole bunch more is being spent just to make the client happy enough to keep buying more service, and a not insignificant chunk is just being embezzled the old fashioned way.

This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.