One of the truly great aspects of the American political system is that — contrary to all the whining about campaign finance and how “the wealthy control the system” — with very few exceptions, political office cannot simply be “bought.”
This year was no different:
Of the 22 candidates who each spent more than $1 million of their own money trying to win their first election to Congress, only one made it.
…
The sole victor was former federal prosecutor Michael McCaul, who won in a Texas district once represented by Lyndon B. Johnson. The biggest loser — in terms of money down the drain — was securities trader Blair Hull, who spent nearly $29 million trying for a Senate seat but lost in the Illinois Democratic primary to Barack Obama.
Of course, this is just the House — how many of us learned in school how the Senate is a “Millionaires’ Club”? And yes, the totality of campaign finance is ominous, growing –and flawed.
But still, American politics is replete with examples of people who tried, and failed, to buy high office: Ross Perot, Huffington in California (Michael or Ariana — take your pick), Tom Golisano in New York (three times). They more than offset the Jon Corzines and Nelson Rockefellers and, yes, Michael Bloombergs, of politics.
A ray of incontrovertible sunshine in this overcast election year.