The last two presidential election cycles broke every campaign spending record in history, but the 2016 race is shaping up to blow those two out of the water.
According to a new report from the Center for Responsive Politics, as of September 21st, political groups "outside the party or official campaign structure" have flooded the 2016 race with more than $25 million dollars, which is five times more than the last presidential race.
And, single-candidate groups - AKA Super PACs - have already spent 55 times more money than they had at this point in the 2012 race.
Unsurprisingly, most of that campaign cash was spent to benefit Republicans. Only one of the 20 top spending groups has a "liberal view" according to the report, and the others are working to help put a Republican in the White House.
Of course, the Right continues to claim that Super PACs are just 'free speech' that is not affiliated with the official campaigns, but that is simply laughable.
Robert Maguire, one of the study's researchers, said, "Single-candidate PACs have been around for the last two elections, and they make a mockery of the FEC's coordination rules." He added, "A super PAC founded by your best friend that does nothing but raise money and buy ads supporting your candidacy is not an independent organization."
These groups aren't independent and the only speech they represent is the speech of millionaires and billionaires. Ever since the disastrous Citizens United decision in 2010, our nation has moved further and further away from a small-d democracy.
If we don't stand up and fight back, this next election could be the all-out sale of our government and the White House.
We have to silence the Super PACs by saying that corporations are not people, money is not speech, and by voting for candidates that promise to overturn Citizens United.
-Thom
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