Why does it cost so much to run a Presidential campaign?

Question

I just got a look at what kind of money Clinton and Obama have raised for their campaign . Why does it cost so much to run for president? I would think it would be cheaper.

Answer 1

Because the money people like it that way. They get to decide who the president is.

Answer 2

Well, there's the travel, the transportation, the lodging and the meals.

Then there are rallies, with costs for sites, entertainment, security, communication, publicity, etc.

There are campaign offices across the nation, which have rent, utilities, phones, and staff. There are buttons, bumper-stickers, hats, shirts, flags, lawn-signs, posters, banners and billboards.

There are polls and voter registration drives.

Then there is radio, TV, newspaper and web advertising.

Not to mention the costs of consultants and experts and all types of media and PR people.

And when it gets to the presidential campaign, you are talking significant numbers of people and events etc in each and every state, with significant entourages of people, etc.

This is why I pooh-poohed the concept behind Robin Williams' "Man of the Year". It takes a significant organization to run a nationawide campaign, not just a tour bus and a few ideas.

Answer 3

Most of the money is for ad spend. Running TV commercials and issue ads is extremely expensive (hundreds of thousands for one primetime 30sec. spot). Conventional wisdom is that the candidate who can get the most airtime will win...and that's the one with the biggest warchest. Money raising ability is also a judge of which candidates are true contenders, so it becomes an end in itself to prove you're a viable candiate. Also, the best campaign staff will gravitate to the campaign that gives them the most $$ to play with.

Answer 4

The money is spent on advertising. It costs money to buy time on television and radio. It costs money to rent billboards. It costs money to print posters and flyers and buttons. It costs money to hire staff, speech writers, web site designers. It costs money to rent vehichles to travel all over the country to give speeches. It costs money to rent out auditoriums, and other venues to give speeches. If you are lucky some of this stuff can be donated, but someone is still absorbing the cost. If a candidate wants to keep himself in the public eye he has to shell out a lot of money. Those who try to get by without massive expenditures are forgotten by the press and lose public interest in their campaign. It is a sad truth about American politics.

Answer 5

The whole thing is designed this way in order to keep the elections under the control of insiders, the polls are also manipulated to make some candidates look better than others

Answer 6

It depends, if you're a democrat, ABC news will organize and air town hall meetings for you free of charge.

NBC will air live concerts organized by you and then they''ll throw softballs at you anytime you want.

Answer 7

The money spent on Presidential campaign's are sickening. There are people without access to proper health care and these candidates are spending millions running around the country to spruke the same politically rhetoric we have already seen on TV a hundred times. I don't think the people who are needed to run the country properly are able to get into the position to do so as it is all about money. Its a case of those with and those without!!

Answer 8

Because politicians have to repeat their lies thousands of times before the electorate gets so worn down that they start believing them.

Answer 9

Look at the price of jet fuel.

Answer 10

Money is power by today's standards.