Meg Whitman Campaign Spending Reaches $140 Million

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: Huffington Post

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Republican Meg Whitman has spent more than $140 million on her campaign for California governor so far, nearly $40 million of it during the last three months, she reported Tuesday.

The spending stands in sharp contrast to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, who was expected to report Tuesday that he has spent $10.3 million so far this year, nearly all of it since Labor Day.

His campaign said he has $22.5 million in campaign cash as he heads into the final month of the race against Whitman. The figure does not include nonmonetary donations of supplies and labor, on which Brown has relied heavily all year.

The campaign finance report filed Tuesday shows Whitman has raised $29.5 million from outside sources since she announced her run last year and has about $9 million cash on hand for the final month of the race against Brown. But the former eBay CEO who is making her first run for office has so far been willing to open her wallet and has given her campaign $119 million from her personal fortune, a record for a U.S. candidate.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/05/meg-whitman-spending-reac_n_751856.html

[mediaman007]

1. Wow! She's a one person stimulus plan!

Let's get more of these people to run!

[TomCADem]

38. She has spent more than Al Gore did in 2000!

[applegrove]

2. Wow. Think of what that money could do if it were given to the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation or to

Bill Clinton's group. What a waste.

[Downwinder]

5. How much is that per unemployed in CA? n/t

[applegrove]

16. Okay. Then give it to charity in California. The point is what a collosal waste of money.

[hendo]

19. Don't feel guilty about supporting one charitable organization over another. NT

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. I think about Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco...

...and their annual Thanksgiving drive. I forget the actual numbers but they send out a flyer showing how many meals are served to the poor and homeless at each donation level. They've been doing it for so many years they have made stretching a dollar an art form. They also provide computer and other vocational training to people who are considered to be abandoned by the job market...and they get these people back on their feet and back to work.

I think about homeless shelters, schools where kids can't afford lunch, seniors who can't afford medical care, cities that have had to cut back on police and emergency services...the list is endless.

It's her money, to spend in whichever manner she sees fit.

But there's the rub...voters are seeing her choices. Part of me is angry, part of me is disgusted, part of me is sad...but in the final analysis I just hope California voters are paying attention.

[marmar]

3. That's why it will it be particularly pleasing to see her campaign go down in flames....

:nuke:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

4. Why spend so much, Meg?

Inquiring minds really want to know what you foresee as the return on investment.

[Old and In the Way]

11. This has always been my question, as well.

Seems like a huge risk for little direct ROI that she could influence as governor (without obvious conflicts of interest)...she has never been particularly politically active...so why burn $140MM on something that had such a high likelyhood of failure? Seems incredibly stupid to me...

[HCE SuiGeneris]

14. An indicator of the corruptness (sic) infesting our political system?

Methinks that her vaunted position (should she attain Governor) would cement her dynasty. Power and wealth is so seductive...

[cbdo2007]

23. Power. It's about becoming a historical figure.

When you die what happens to all your money? Even Ebay will some day be taken over by something else.

Governor of California though - she'll go down in history as part of America. It's about her legacy and actually makes her a historical figure. The power and her name will live on for hundreds of years. The money - really even $140 million isn't that much when you have $1 Billion, really isn't "worth" what it means to be a historical figure.

[Blue_Tires]

25. i think she sees it as a stepping stone

I also think she took a look at he mountains of cash, fame and national attention showered on Sarah Palin (and we all know how laughably thin her resume is compared to Whitman's)...

If Whitman were to somehow dethrone Palin as the GOP's media darling, then no door in the halls of power is closed to her (at least that's what I think is going on in her head)

[Tippy]

6. A 140 MILLION....

This woman truly is CRAZY.....How much would she make as Governor? This is all the proof voters need to show Whitman the door...

[MinneapolisMatt]

7. That could feed a lot of people.

Sad.

[Old and In the Way]

8. Could this end up being a tax shelter?

I have no idea what the tax implications are, but if she loses, could her tax lawyer argue it was bad investment?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

12. Without being an attorney, my initial reaction is...

...that a political campaign would somehow have to be exempt from standard "investments." Of course, with all of the back door deals in the way of campaign spending that we've seen, who knows...

...but if you're in the billion-plus bracket, losing $140 million is less than ideal, but it also doesn;t mean dumpster diving and living under an overpass. She'll get by...somehow.

I'm more interested in the look on her face when she concedes to Jerry Brown. I don't think it will ever register with her that she could have been a $140 million philanthropist. It's simply not the cut of her jib.

[Downwinder]

13. Job hunting costs? n/t

[OregonBlue]

10. I wish she'd spend every dime she has and lose anyway!!!

[tomm2thumbs]

15. The Titanic, The Hindenburg, Howard the Duck Movie... Meg's in good company

'expensive disaster' is always something cool to put on your business card anyway

I hope she includes an asterisk with *costs

[hendo]

20. Please don't drag Howard the Duck into this

that movie was awesome!

[kestrel91316]

17. Spend, Meg, spend! The more you spend, the more people understand how

little you think of us, that you think noise can buy our votes.

[Blacksheep214]

18. She could have bought citizenship

for her housekeeper instead of throwing her away like trash.

That would have been commendable!

As it is, she's the furthest thing from even being a nice person with a lick of sense. Tell us again about fiscal responsibility!

On second thought, never mind!

[thelordofhell]

21. Population of California is almost 39 million

About $3.50 a resident. I can't wait for the final election figures to find out how much per vote. My guess is that it will be $500 or more per vote.

[FarLeftFist]

22. And this makes her a Conservative??

Yes, it does.

[Journeyman]

24. Well, if she'd given me half that, I'd have thought about voting for her. . .

Not much -- I'd be too busy spending my new fortune -- but it would have come close to buying her one more vote than she was already going to get anyway.

[4lbs]

26. She'll end up spending $150 million to lose to a person that will have spent no more than 10%

of that amount.

[Matariki]

27. There ought to be a law...

anyway - seeing her lose in spite of the will be a good laugh. I imagine she arrogantly believes she can buy whatever she wants.

[Politicalboi]

28. I don't think this is all her money

I think she has backers who give her money, and then she will sell us to the highest bidder. She is only thinking about herself. She is disgusting.

[bemildred]

29. Flush!

:hurts:

[countmyvote4real]

30. election vs. auction

Meg has no concept of democracy. She never bothered to register to vote anywhere until 2002.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/27/meg-whitman-voting-record_n_301038.html

I think she believes the highest bidder wins. That would be true if it were an auction, but this is probably our last election since the corrupted SCOTUS declared all elections are now auctions with the Citizens United verdict.

[alp227]

31. In this crummy economy the voters would more likely support frugal Brown

...whose campaign spending only began around Labor Day? Vs. the corporate outsourcer liar Witless Whitman?

[SoapBox]

32. She's in a PANIC...

...just keep spending and talking NutMeg...

You are nasty and evil. Your new PATHETIC attempt to look warm and fuzzy
(the newest ad that is on TV ALL the time) will be an epic FAIL!

You're a creep...and we now know it.

Go JERRY!

[TomCADem]

33. Meg Whitman has spent a record $140 million so far on campaign

Source: NBC

"Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has spent a record $140 million on her campaign through the end of September," according to a campaign finance statement just filed and obtained bythe Sacramento Bee.

"The billionaire former CEO of online auction firm eBay had $9,183,510.78 in reserves at the end of September. Her Democratic rival Jerry Brown has $22.5 million in reserves and has spent about $10 million, according to his campaign. Brown hasn't yet filed a detailed campaign finance statement, which is due today.

"Whitman spent $39.8 million from July to September, which comes out to about $3 million a week. Much of that money went to TV and radio stations all across the state, the new records show.

"Whitman has already become the biggest self-funding candidate in U.S. history, having invested more than $119 million of her own money into the race. She's said she's prepared to invest as much as $150 million of her own wealth.


Read more: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/Meg-Whitman-has-spent-a-record-140-million-so-far-on-campaign--104383764.html

---

Meg Whitman has now spent more money in the California gubernatorial election than Al Gore spent in the 2000 Presidential election. Election 2010 will now be known as the dawn of America, Inc.

[some guy]

34. May her final totals

work out to be $50,000.00 per vote received.

[Merlot]

35. She's a billionaire. 140 million is chump change.

[KeepItReal]

36. She is stimulating the hell out of CA's economy

...at least the TV broadcast economy...

Too bad she doesn't use her powers for good.

[TomCADem]

37. For a person who did not even bother to vote, Meg Whitman...

...has a lot of gall proposing to sweep in and save the day based on her private business background. When was the last time we heard such rhetoric?

Oh yeah, from our current Republican Governor Schwarznegger.

[marions ghost]

39. campaign spending limits?

this is obscene and matched nowhere else in the world.

But America is a nation where Narcissists really DO get somewhere.

To the detriment of the rest of us.