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Article: The trouble with targeting: four reasons why the parties outsmart themselves in congressional elections.(OPINION)
- Article from:
- Campaigns & Elections
- Article date:
- December 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Campaigns & Elections, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Political parties play a huge role in determining which congressional elections are competitive. They interview candidates and create their own list of funding priorities. Their allies follow their lead, opening their wallets for candidates in targeted races while rebuffing others.
The result is a distinct set of financial haves and have-nots: FEC reports reveal that 33 House challenges spent more than $2 million in 2004, while nearly 200 spent less than $100,000.
What the parties look for are races where their involvement could make the difference between victory and defeat. Their logic is simple and compelling: Rather than invest in a contest where ...