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Will the Take Back America Conference ever replace the Democratic Convention?
Published on March 20, 2008 12:01 AM
Category: Faulty Assumptions, Political Committees & 527s, Political Parties
Six years ago today the Senate approved the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act. At the time, many opponents of the bill were warning that the bill would likely result in a weakening of the political parties relative to other advocacy organizations like 527's, 501(c)4's and even other political committees. Appropriate then, that liberal groups chose this week to announce that they plan to spend up to $400 million in the build up to the 2008 general election. For comparison, the Democratic National Committee spent less than $390 million in the 2004 election cycle.
Defenders of the bill argue that BCRA did not inflict irreparable harm onto the political parties by noting, correctly, that political parties today are raising sums in record amounts.
Indeed, this is true - but there is more to the story.
Yes, the Democratic National Committee increased fundraising threefold from 2000 to 2004. The DNC raised $124 million in 2000 compared to $394 million in 2004.
Overall, total party spending in the '04 cycle was $3.1 billion. In 2000, party spending was only $1.4 billion. So, party spending increased by approximately 221 percent from the year 2000 to 2004.
Meanwhile, in 2004 there was more than $1.1 billion in spending by regulated outside advocacy groups, while in 2000 there was just $374 million in comparable outside spending. This equates to roughly a 294 percent increase in FECA and BCRA regulated outside spending.
After adding in the more than $600 million in spending by 527 organizations, it becomes more than evident that political parties have been weakened.
For the record, CCP is very pleased that the amount of political speech continues to grow, but it is important to set the record straight - McCain-Feingold has unequivocally weakened the political parties vis a vis other political actors.
If the trend continues, political parties will increasingly become bystanders in their own campaigns. While CCP supports independent spending and does not believe that parties and candidates deserve a monopoly on the debate, it is also a bizarre world that handicaps parties and seems determined over time to relegate political parties - which actually nominate candidates and organize the legislature - to the sidelines come campaign time."
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