A set of maps from NPR’s Adam Cole tell the story of the 2012 election using a software that distorts the states based on election spending.
In which the Rockies are on a diet, the largest state by land mass suddenly becomes an ink blot, and California looks like a giant tumor that’s trying to crush Nevada.
The anti-campaign ad: Richard Tisei, who’s seeking to unseat Rep. John Tierney in Massachusetts, knows voters are sick of campaign ads, and would probably much rather watch, say, footage of a beach. So, he released an ad that’s comprised of just that—a beach. There are no references to policies, vote records, or unsavory associations. Just a sunrise, seagulls, and gentle waves lapping at the shore. This reminds us a bit of Mike Gravel’s rock commercial, except Tisei’s is more succinct, has higher production value, and is grounded in reality.
—Seth @ ShortFormBlog
In case you haven’t seen, we introduce you to the only campaign ad that matters right now.
$125 the price President Obama’s campaign paid for a slot of ad time in Ohio
$900 the price a conservative super PAC paid for the same amount of ad time in the same state source
A rarely-discussed fact about super PACS: Under federal law, they’re charged a substantially higher rate for ad time than candidates’ campaigns. One implication of this is that candidates who are supported primarily by super PACS get a lot less bang for their buck than candidates who pay for ads with their own campaigns. This excellent chart, courtesy of Paul Blumenthal at Huffington Post, says it all: 
Keep in mind that Florida is a must-win state for Mitt Romney, yet for all of his supposed financial advantages, he’s buying less ad time there than Obama (h/t Jon Chait).
$313 spent at Chic-fil-A by Mitt Romney’s campaign in August
$152 spent at Dunkin’ Donuts by President Obama’s campaign the same month
Normally, we’d chalk an article like this up to a slow news week, but it hasn’t really been a slow news week. Anyway, if you’re interested in the fast food spending habits of the two major parties’ presidential campaigns, Politico has you covered. source
swagandpassion asks: So campaigns raise funds from various avenues & use the funds to buy tv time for ads as well as other things. I just feel in light of everything going on, the millions upon millions raised would be much better served actually going to help people wherever the ads are being aired.-like funds being donated to food banks, the Salvation Army, etc. I feel Citizens United was just wrong. My question is approximately how much money is raised nationally during campaign season and how much goes to ads?
» SFB says: The numbers are fluid, but fortunately for us, the Sunlight Foundation has compiled all the 2010 info into numbers, graphics and the whole bit. You can even search by candidate. We definitely see where you’re coming from — all this outside money could go to better use. $454 million spent by outside groups in the 2010 election season — just think, how many $40,000-per-year middle-class jobs would that money pay for? Wait, we have the answer. Eleven thousand jobs.
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