I don’t buy that all the SuperPac spending didn’t make a difference just because Romney lost. In any case, the money will only get smarter and find better leverage with each electoral cycle.
Which is why it’s worth a reminder of of how money played this year, and how much has changed since 2008:
1. Estimated amount of disclosed spending in the 2012 election: $6 billion
2. Amount of dark money (money with no donor disclosure) spent in the 2008 election:$70 million
Minimum amount of dark money known to have been spent on the 2012 election: $213 million
3. Amount super-PACs, dark money groups, and other outside groups spent in October: $526 million
4. Percentage of all super-PAC money from just 163 people who gave $500,000 or more: 70 percent
5. Percentage of outside spending coming from disclosed donors in 2004: 96.5 percent
Percentage in 2012: 40.5 percent
6. Amount the Koch brothers are known to have donated to candidates and parties in 2012: $411,000
Amount of dark money they have pledged to spent to defeat Barack Obama: $60 milion
7. Percentage of dark money spent on federal elections that went to electing Republicans and defeating Democrats: 80 percent
8. Percentage of the 1 million-plus ads run by the Obama and Romney campaigns and their allies between April and October that were negative: 87 percent
Lots more from Mother Jones on Dark Money here. And if it makes you want to do something about it, here’s the best place to go.
The Earthist Chronicles 