Every year in the last 30 or more, the total amounts raised and spent is appalling in the amounts-billions??? what that excess could do for homeless vets angers me, what is really accomplished is this: ad agencies and MSM networks benefit bigly. What is really needed (some countries have this) is a 90 day period for campaigning and a limit on spending for campaigns. The parallels between sports "salaries" and political campaign spending is proof of 'much ado about nothing'...