Retail Politics

John Stewart "reported" Wednesday night that the 2 candidates for N.J. Governor spent a combined 70 million dollars in the race that ended in Snotty Billionaire John Corzine's victory over Snotty Billionaire Doug Forrester. That may sound like peanuts compared to the presidential campaign "budgets" we became so familiar with last year, but consider this: only 2.12 Million people voted in NJ yesterday (2,124,756, in fact.) Two things: a) that's less than or very near 25% turnout, but much more importantly b) it means the two candidates spent $32.94496 on every individual vote cast. And if we remember our high-school physics lesson on significant digits and rounding, that rounds up to $32.95 per vote. If Kerry and Bush had spent $32.95 per vote they'd have combined to spend (we didn't believe it 'til we checked our math,) 3.99 Billion-with-a-"B" dollars, and that is retail politics, and it is coming down the road, let no Standing Eight readers claim or feign surprise.
But wait there's more! If you break down the NJ race by assuming each candidate spent half of the 70 mil (they didn't become rich by outspending each other,) it turns out Corzine spent $29.92 for every vote for him, while Forrester spent a whopping $36.66 on each of his votes (we did not massage those numbers to make 666 appear, either.) That's right, proof positive that losing is expensive.