Politics on the Hudson

The Center for Responsive Politics is predicting that the election, at a cost of $5.3 billion, will be the most expensive election in U.S. history. The Washington D.C. based nonpartisan group that monitors congressional campaigns through its web site, www.opensecrets.org, is also predicting the presidential campaigns will cost nearly $2.4 billion. ”This election will blow through historic records on a number of counts,” said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, in a statement today. “We’ve marveled for years at the cost of elections, especially during presidential cycles, but this one is the first to cross the $5 billion mark. At the same time, it’s encouraging to see more Americans than ever participating and offsetting the traditional dominance of special interests and donors who might be expecting payback. The only payback the small donor is expecting is a victory on Election Day. And that’s healthier for our democracy.”