It's the Small Change We Should Believe In

Candidates have spent a bundle on campaign, but didn't always do it wisely

(NEWSER) - The next president faces the daunting task of fixing a crippled economy—all the more reason to look at the candidates' best and worst financial decisions during the campaigns. Politico's Jeanne Cummings does the tally:

• Obama's Best: His decision to hire Facebook's founder, whose interactive Internet fundraising included billboards in online games.

McCain benefited from fewer fictitious donors, Times discovers

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama received some $40,000 from obviously fictitious donors, the New York Times reports. After poring over both candidates’ records, the Times found some 3,000 donations to Obama from more than a dozen people with obviously falsified names —like “Test Person” from “Some Place, UT.” McCain had such donors as well, but far fewer than Obama. More»

(NEWSER) - The little guy didn't fill Barack Obama's campaign coffers after all, a new non-partisan study says. True, almost 50% of his donations were $200 or less, but many of those donors gave again. Only about a quarter of them stopped at two C-notes, a figure in the same range as donations to John McCain. About 80% of Obama's money came from people who gave more than $1,000, the New York Times reports. More»

But it paves way for new standard in political fundraising system

(NEWSER) - The huge success of Barack Obama’s Internet fundraising campaign has sparked concerns about the regulation of campaign finance. Some worry that the faceless system allows for easy abuse, particularly in light of donations from anonymous or clearly fake names such as "Osama bin Laden," the Washington Post reports. Dangerous or not, though, Obama’s fundraising has likely become a model for future campaigns. More»

Individuals are giving as much as $70K to candidates and parties

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama’s small donors have grabbed the headlines this election, but the latest campaign finance reports reveal that big donors have been playing their biggest role in ages, the New York Times reports. Both candidates have used joint committees, which raise money for both the candidates and their parties, to subvert the $2,300 individual donation limit, allowing donors to give tens of thousands with one check. More»