The insane cost of the primary election

The amount of money that has been pledged and spent on the 2008 presidential elections is staggering. When did the presidential elections turn into such a mess? When did the choice for who would be the best president of the United States turn into a fundraising extravaganza and spending spree unlike any other?

The presidential canidates have spent millions and millions of dollars on ads and propaganda puffing themselves up and tearing their opponents down. In the end only one person can win and all the millions of dollars spent on the losing canidates will have been for nothing. I can not even begin to calculate how much time and energy we have wasted, or the cost, in regards to resources, of all the posters, printouts, mailers, flyers and handouts.

The total amount of money that has been raised by all the canidates seeking to run for president as of March 20, 2008 is $776,718,080.00. That includes money pledged to those canidates who are no longer running. In terms of actual money spent by the leading canidates here is a breakdown:

Barack Obama's has spent $158,509,856.

Hillary Clinton has spent $140,700,707.

John McCain has spent $57,194,006.

Many of us have a very hard time grasping the notion of spending such huge quantities of money. Most of us will never see even a fraction of that kind of money in our lifetimes. The idea of just throwing away such massive amounts of money on building yourself up, patting yourself on the back, and stroking your own ego while systematically tearing another person down is so ludiscrous it would be laughable were it not such a huge problem. With this vast amount of money there is so much good that could have been done instead of using it for greedy gain. Let's try to put it into perspective.

The amount of money that the top three contenders have spent as of March 20, 2008 is $356,404,569.00. I am sure the total is higher now, but these were the most recent figures I could find courtesy of CNN. Here is a breakdown of the good we could have done, given that kind of money, instead of wasting it on political elections.

For $356,404,569.00 we could have:

• Granted 57,484 wishes for terminally ill and chronically sick children through the Make A Wish Foundation. www.wish.org
• Trained 35,640 service dogs for needy people through assistant dogs. www.assistancedogs.org
• Provided 50,914 wells through bead for life. www.beadforlife.org
• Provided 142,561 scholarships, good for ten years, to help girls in Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam attend school. www.roomtoread.org
• Built 89,101 librairies in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam www.roomtoread.org
• Funded construction of 12,289 new preschools, primary schools, or secondary schools in Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia, or Vietnam, and built 23,760 libraries in existing schools in Africa. www.roomtoread.org
• Educated and supported 101,829 illiterate adults. www.balf.net
• Provided one week free camp stay to 297,003 sick children and their families. www.campsunshine.org
• Plant 356,404,569 trees. www.treeswaterpeople.org

This is only a small smattering of the wonderful and noble causes we could have supported. Imagine all the good we could have done, and what we would have to show for the moeny that was spent. Children granted a dying wish and needy people provided with dogs to make everyday living possible. New schools, wells, and libraries in underdeveloped countries to help the next generation have a better quality of life. Adults given the chance to learn to read enabling them to become more active members of their community and giving them the self assurance necessary to succeed. Sick children and their families provided with a well needed vacation at a beautiful camp. Millions of trees planted to help with greenhouse gasses and topsoil erosion. Instead this money has been wasted in an insane popularity contest and a conquest to prove who is "better". Even when it is all over and we have a winner, no one really has won.

• If you would like more information on non-profit charities please go to www.give.org to see a comprehensive list. You can also go to www.charitablegiving.wordpress.com to see my blog highlighting charitable organizations.