Money Don’t Buy You Love
By Greg L | 7 December 2009 | Virginia House, Prince William County | 9 Comments
So which candidates for the House of Delegates in Prince William County got the most “bang” for their campaign “buck”? Once again we see that Delegate Bob Marshall once again is far more effective with his campaign finances than just about anyone else. And the least effective candidate this cycle? That’s hardly a surprise either — it’s Jeanette Rishell.
Here’s how it sorts out:
| Candidate | District | Campaign Spending | Spending Per Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Marshall (won) | 13th | $182,454 | $7.94 |
| Raphael Lopez (lost) | 52nd | $128,940 | $16.93 |
| John Bell (lost) | 13th | $598,427 | $41.35 |
| Jackson Miller (won) | 50th | $327,469 | $42.80 |
| Rich Anderson (won) | 51st | $351,271 | $44.24 |
| Luke Torian (won) | 52nd | $411,615 | $49.79 |
| Paul Nichols (lost) | 51st | $618,419 | $80.62 |
| Jeanette Rishell (lost) | 50th | $382,971 | $83.16 |
The pretty clear take-away here is unsurprising: you can’t buy an election, but you can’t run one without either adequate funding or some other pretty dramatic advantage.
The two notables here demonstrate either end of the competence spectrum. Bob Marshall runs strong, inexpensive campaigns that rely on volunteers and his record of accomplishment in the district, so he can get away with inexpensive campaigns and still beat challengers by more than twenty points. Jeanette Rishell throws her money out the door like a drunken idiot, spending nearly $145,000 on consultants and staff while acting sort of like a stimulus program for otherwise unemployable political wingnuts like herself, and gets crushed by more than twenty points.
Source: VPAP
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Greg:
Another thing to consider is effective use of new media like Rich Anderson did during his campaign. A lot of Paul Nichol’s money went into huge signs that seemed to be posted mostly at busineese, not homes. Meanwhile, Rich Anderson was getting a lot of publicity for his well done ads on YouTube. Of course, one needs to be careful (including your staff) on what goes on the media.
You better consult with Tiger…
Does anyone know if Nickles plans to run again? (You OUT THERE Harry, or maybe even NOT Kevin C?)
I was thinking about sending him my “Paul Nichols is a LIAR and a THIEF” t-shirt as a souvenier from his “political” days.
600+ thousand thrown out the door by the DRUNKEN, POLICE ASSAULTING THUG couldn’t help HIDE what he is!
A DIRT BAG!!!
Speaking of HIDING, if he HID the FACT that he ASSAULTED a police officer in 2006, what ELSE is he hiding?
What ELSE has he had EXPUNGED from his record?
The VOTERS have a RIGHT to know!
You’re RIGHT!
Money CAN’T buy a DIRT BAG love!
Greg, it appears that a typical new candidate would have
to secure around 300K to have a decent chance to win a job that
pays under 20K annually and last two years. Hopefully, small
donations from supporters play a major role, but it
takes a lot of $50-$100 checks to add up to 300K.
So, the new people who run must have very deep
pockets or become obligated, at some level, to
those who “invest” with large campaign contributions.
Not sure how to address this challenge, although transparent
public campaign financial reports at least help us connect the
dots.
(Oh, I would advised Jeanette for 14K and matched the
result she got for ten times that amount. My advice would
have been “don’t waste your time and money, there
is no way you can beat Jackson”.)
I’m a typical Bob Marshall volunteer — I posted at least 100 signs throughout the area in the closing two weeks of the campaign, then collected at least that many just days after the election so Bob will have them available in two years. They’re sitting in my garage.
Bob Marshall has no idea who I am — I met the guy once at a parade. But his voting record and hard work speak volumes for me and my wife. That’s why I spent several days of my personal time to help his campaign — and I’ll do it again. And while I removed my Bob M and Ken C bumper sticks, I’m keeping Marshall’s. It’s a cheap and easy way to keep his name out there while I make the daily drive up and down Rte. 15.
This kind of support can’t be “bought.” It has to be earned. And Marshall has earned it.
I ran into Paul tonight, but didn’t discuss whether he would run again. However, in a really bad year for Democrats, his showing was objectively better than respectable.
@ Keven C:
Dude! Go bust some caps! Lose that rage.
Jackson Miller handily beat Rischell, but he spent almost as much as she did. You conclude he is more efficient with his money, but doesn’t that mean he didn’t NEED to spend all that money to win and therefore was somewhat inefficient with his money?
I hope she runs again, it’s just funny.
Walter E. Kurtz said
@ Keven C:
It’s hardly worth responding to someone who can’t even PAY ATTENTION!