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Becoming president of the United States is a very expensive adventure, only available to candidates capable of seducing people with very deep pockets and willing to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars, or millions, to their campaigns.
(It may interest you: Why are the US elections the first Tuesday in November?)
Field staff and aircraft, hotels and expenses associated with advertising, among others, have increased steadily over the last hundred years, but they have especially skyrocketed throughout the 21st century.
Without going any further, in the 2020 presidential campaign the outgoing president, Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden together raised a total of $ 1.6 billion, according to data from the Center for a Reactive Policy.
This analysis takes into account what was spent by the campaigns themselves, not by the Political Action Committees (PACs) or other support groups. Despite the pandemic, which severely limits public appearances on the ground, the expenses of both campaigns far exceeded those registered in 2016.
(Read here: What’s behind the Democratic and Republican symbols?)
How much did Lincoln and Bush invest?
In 1992, the combined campaigns of George Bush Sr. (1989-1993), Bill Clinton (1994-2001) and Ross Perot spent some $ 360 million adjusted for inflation, according to reports from the Federal Electoral Commission.
During his election campaign, former President Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) had to address a completely divided society, separated, roughly, between the pro-slavery South and the abolitionist North.
George Bush and his wife Laura Bush. This former president spent less than $ 200 million on his 2000 presidential campaign.
And he did it by spending 2.8 million dollars, according to one of his biographies. Taking inflation into account, the amount of money it takes to be the tenant of the White House has multiplied by more than 350 from Lincoln to the winner of the last elections, the Democrat Joe Biden, who has spent about 1 billion
of dollars. Trump, for his part, has spent approximately 600 million.
(Also read: Media projections confirm Biden’s victory in Arizona)
How much was spent in 2016?
In the 2016 election battle, Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton had a budget of $ 565 million, above his rival, Trump, with 322 million consumed, according to data from the Open Secrets platform.
What was the value in 2000 and 2012?
For the 2000 elections, the tightest in modern history, neither George W. Bush (2001-2009) nor Al Gore, who lost due to a controversial vote recount in Florida, spent more than $ 200 million.
Between those elections and 2012, the campaign spending of the candidates multiplied by more than four: in 2012, former president Barack Obama (2009-2017) spent more than 720 million to seek his re-election; while his Republican rival, now senator Mitt Romney, invested, unsuccessfully, about 450 million dollars.
(Also: Candidacy for 2024, an option that Trump would have on the table)
Barack Obama spent more than $ 720 million on his reelection campaign.
Michael M. Santiago. AFP
Is spending related to results?
Generally, the amount of money spent by each candidate is a good indicator of who will win the election.
In recent decades, however, the applicant who invested the least has won
sometimes. For example, in 2016, Trump beat Hillary Clinton with less spending.
But there are other cases: in 1996, Bill Clinton triumphed with a budget of 200 million dollars, below the 228 of Republican Bob Dole, while Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) won in 1984 with less money than his rival, Walter Mondale.
In 2020, waiting for Trump to admit defeat, the candidate who raised and spent the most money won the elections.
EFE
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– Why is it said that Joe Biden’s path will not be easy in the US?
– Trump’s efforts to hinder the transition of power in the US.
– No votes lost or changed: US electoral authorities.
