NEED TO KNOW | The shadow campaign: Big money in this year's midterm elections | PBS

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/video/the-shadow-campaign-big-money-in-t... We're just over four weeks from a midterm election that could result in a major power shift in Congress. What is new this year is the way the campaigns are being conducted, and how much is being spent - not by the campaigns themselves, but by others: corporations, advocacy groups and individuals with deep pockets. Media analysts estimate a record-breaking - and jaw dropping - $3.7 billion will be spent on advertising alone. But by whom exactly? The 2010 "shadow campaign," as some are calling it, is on Need to Know's "Watch List" this week. Need to Know airs Fridays on PBS. Watch full-length episodes of Need to Know at http://video.pbs.org/program/1458405365/
shadow campaign, citizens united, American Action Network, Norm

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Coleman
• Douglas Holz-Eakin
• Colarado
• Russ Feingold
• Michael Bennet
• Richard Nixon

[SpinachSalad01]

Election campaign reform...who needs it. The supreme court turned it into a spending free-for-all and that's what democracy and capitalism is all about. Let the buying of our legislators and politicos continue. It's good for the economy right?

[marvelous2055]

this is ridiculous and an abvious attempt to distroy democracy. a single individual has a spending limit but corporations and unions do not. hows that fair. all campaigns should be run with public money like every other democracy on earth. not this greedy capitilistic dictatorship we have here.

[Shroomalator]

This is stupid. Let them spend how ever much they choose, they can't swing my vote. I'm totally against any limits on companies that use this practice. Even though I am currently part of a campaign that is being negatively affected by these ads, I'm still completely for them; mainly because I hate who I'm currently working for, but I digress.

[7ru7h533kr]

Don't let this government sponsored propaganda sway your opinions. VOTE THIRD PARTY!

[7ru7h533kr]

@GalwayRose1 You think the Republicans are going to do anything different? You're disillusioned. Out of the public eye they're all buddies and on the same team.

[GalwayRose1]

vOTE REPUBLICAN..VOTE REPUBLICAN.  NO MORE DEMS THEY ARE DESTROYING AMERICA. GOD HELP AMERICA, WAKE UP AMERICANS.

[GalwayRose1]

NO DEMOC RATS: Oops. They are destroying America. LOOK AT CHRIS MURPHY WHAT HE DID TO CT., DEAR GOD NOT ANOTHER FORKED TONGUE, FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME, SHAME ON CHRIS MURPHYY, FOOL ME TWICE NO WAY!!NO VOTE FOR MURPHY.

[MrMickyMouth]

UM ,HELLO!!

I am totally for sale.

[mrbhave]

Here's an idea that would eliminate the need for campaign finance reform and term limits: vote for anybody but red or blue. Vote for anybody but the incumbent.

[voyeurdug]

There's an obvious "K.I.S.S." solution:

Each voter, being bombarded with this barrage of messages can fairly well discern which side of the "discussion" is predominantly positive and constructive, and which side is predominantly negative and divisive. With just a few quiet moments of sober reflection, a wise voter can transpose his or her value judgments onto the ballot they're given. The big problem is getting each voter to regard the situation in this manner.