A group, small to be sure, made millions on the loss!
Kind of like lawyers, people win and lose in court cases but the lawyers are always the really BIG WINNERS!
Campaign "consultants," sales people who got the ad buys, printers printing signs, flyers, door hangers, etc., IT handling websites, blogs, etc.
There are always winners in campaigns, even losing campaigns.
Some of regular faces on the TV shows are the consultants, market researchers, pollsters, etc. Many of them have never been on a winning team, yet here they are on TV giving their opinions, advice or merely arguing the opposite view on political shows, continuing to earn their living off of a losing campaign, getting the last laugh (or dollar for that matter!)
Still, the money is pissed down the drain, unless for some silly reason you are living under the illusion all of those lawyers are going to give it back.