Campaigning and elections in the networked century

Kronology ^ | 02/10/11 | Nicholas Kronos

[nkronos]

Estimates are that Barack Obama will initiate his 2012 re-election drive with a $1 billion war chest. The need to raise such massive funding to mount a credible campaign means candidates must likewise ramp up earlier and earlier in the election cycle, which in turn feeds on itself, especially in an era where professional consultants have supplanted unpaid volunteers. ([Meg] Whitman spent $1 million to lure heavy hitter Mike Murphy before he did one thing for her campaign.)

The example of [Jerry] Brown, however, shows that a candidate can take advantage of the right circumstances to minimize wasteful excess and achieve better results with less money.