Why does it cost so much for a political campaign?

[Jester]

Some of my co-workers and I were discussing this and wondered, why are politicians so proud of their huge campaign war chests? The raise millions of dollars, spend a large bit of it on the campaign, and what happens to it after the fact? I'd love to see someone try to run a bare bones campaign, and whatever money they don't spend on the campaign, donate it to lower the debt or something. With modern technology it'd seem a political campaign could probably do well with limited funds, if it just used them well.

What are your thoughts? Would you vote for a candidate who said, "Thank you for your donations. Know that I will try to use them wisely and use as little as possible and what I don't use, win or lose I will give to some charity/pay down the national debt/ect."?

[Sewer Bull]

When I saw the title, I thought you were going to run for some office, Jester.

[Jester]

Heck no....I don't have any political aspirations. I just wonder with sky-rocketing debt, how politicians from both parties can have massive war-chests and gloat about it.

[Katie]

It costs a lot because they have to advertise....and that isn't cheap. They also have to pay their staff......usually they have to rent office space......vehicle expense..... The list goes on and on.

Proud of their war chests....you mean about how they disclose the amounts raised? They have to do that by law. Also, it's kind of a measure of popularity. A good candidate will raise more than a bad one afterall.

When it's all over a lot of them hold the funds in trus or donate them back to their political party national chapter.


All it boils down to is that you have to be rich to be in power....... most politicians are not struggling financially to begin with.