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Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson poured $53 million into the 2012 elections via controversial super PACs to back these candidates. All lost. From left to right, Mitt Romney, Connie Mack, George Allen, Allen West, Joe Kyrillos, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, David Dewhurst and Newt Gingrich. West is demanding a recount, however, claiming 'disturbing irregularities at the polls.'
Money can't buy happiness, nor can it buy an election, apparently.
The top donors to super PACs in 2012 did not fare well — casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, the No. 1 super PAC contributor with more than $53 million in giving, backed eight losers at this writing.
Adelson was top backer of the pro-Mitt Romney Restore Our Future super PAC, with $20 million in donations. Romney lost to President Barack Obama. In addition, Adelson's contributions to super PACs backing U.S. Senate candidates in Florida, Virginia and New Jersey were also for naught.
He was not the only conservative billionaire who had a bad night.
Contran Corp. CEO Harold Simmons, (No. 2), homebuilder Bob Perry (No. 3) and TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, (No.4), also bet on Romney. Collectively, the trio gave $13.4 million to Restore Our Future, and Ricketts' super PAC, Ending Spending Action Fund, spent an additional $9.9 million helping Romney's failed bid.
AP
Fred Eychaner, founder of Chicago-based alternative-newspaper publisher Newsweb Corp., was the only one of the top five donors to super PACs to back a winner -- President Barack Obama.
The super donor winner of the night was Newsweb Corp. CEO Fred Eychaner (No. 5). Eychaner gave $3.5 million to pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action through the most recent filing period, which ended Oct. 17, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Decision 2012 on NBCNews.com: Senate election results
Decision 2012 on NBCNews.com: House election results
In Florida, Republican Rep. Connie Mack lost his challenge to the popular Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who won with 55 percent of the vote. Adelson gave $2 million to the pro-Mack super PAC Freedom PAC, and Simmons and Perry gave a combined $255,000 to the group.
The hotly contested Senate race in Virginia attracted $2.5 million from Adelson and Perry, both giving to Independence Virginia, the super PAC supporting former Republican Sen. George Allen. His opponent, Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine, won the seat with 52 percent of the vote.
Campaign spending by super PACs in this election cycle topped $1 billion – nearly four times the amount spent by such groups in 2008. Looking back now, how much impact did that money have on the race? Former White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton and former RNC Chairman Michael Steele discuss.
Adelson also invested in the re-election of Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., in Florida's 18th District, who narrowly lost to Democratic newcomer Patrick Murphy. On Wednesday, however, West's campaign called for a recount, citing "disturbing irregularities reported at polls."
See which industries funneled the most money into presidential race
The casino billionaire's $1 million to Patriot Prosperity, a New Jersey-specific super PAC supporting the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Joe Kyrillos, and the Republican candidate for U.S. House in the state's 9th District, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, did not pay off.
Shawn Thew / EPA
Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., pumped $53 million into the election, but apparently backed only one minor winner by helping defeat a Michigan ballot initiative.
During the primary season, Adelson's $16.5 million in contributions to the super PAC Winning Our Future was not enough guide former House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich to a Republican presidential nomination, though it is credited with keeping him in the race longer than expected. Nor were Adelson's contributions enough to help Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst win the GOP primary for Texas Senate earlier this year, a cause to which gave at least a quarter-million dollars.
Karl Rove's election nightmare: Super PAC's spending was nearly for naught
Adelson did score one point with his $2 million contribution that helped sink a Michigan ballot initiative seeking to enshrine collective bargaining in the state's Constitution. Adelson runs the only non-union casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
Win-Loss Rundown:
(Giving to candidate-specific super PACs in the federal election)
Sheldon Adelson, Republican, $53.7 million*
- Mitt Romney — loss
- Connie Mack (Florida Senate) — loss
- George Allen (Virginia Senate) — loss
- Allen West (House, Florida’s 18th) — too close to call, but leaning toward loss
- Joe Kyrillos (New Jersey Senate) — loss
- Shmuley Boteach (House, New Jersey’s 9th) — loss
- Newt Gingrich (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- David Dewhurst (GOP primary, Texas Senate) — loss
© Flor Cordero / Reuters
Billionaire Harold Simmons was the second-biggest donor to super PACs in the presidential race, with $26.9 million in contributions.
Harold Simmons, Republican, $26.9 million*
- Mitt Romney — loss
- Connie Mack (Florida Senate) — loss
- Rick Santorum (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- Newt Gingrich (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- Rick Perry (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- David Dewhurst (GOP primary, Texas Senate) — loss
- Orrin Hatch (GOP primary, Utah Senate) — win
Bob Perry, Republican, $21.5 million*
- Mitt Romney — loss
- George Allen (Virginia Senate) — loss
- Connie Mack (Florida Senate) — loss
- Rick Perry (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- David Dewhurst (GOP primary, Texas Senate) — loss
Joe Ricketts, Republican, $12.9 million*
- Mitt Romney — loss
Fred Eychaner, Democrat, $12 million*
- Barack Obama — win
Tuesday marked the first presidential election under the new campaign finance regime installed following the 2010 Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court decision. The ruling paved the way for super PACs and nonprofits, allowing them to accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations and unions, which could be spent on advertising backing or opposing candidates.
Full election coverage on NBC Politics
*As of Oct. 17, 2012 for the 2011-2012 election cycle. Source: Center for Responsive Politics and Center for Public Integrity analysis of Federal Election Commission records. Totals include contributions from individuals, family members and corporations that are controlled by the individual super donor.
The Center for Public Integrity is a non-profit independent investigative news outlet. For more of its stories visit publicintegrity.org.
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Republicans lost because you can't win on a campaign on lies and distortions. Your Voter ID and other voter suppression techniques failed as they only made voters more determined to vote. Also, Romney was one of the worst politicians in recent memory, changing his position every week. In addition, when you believe your own lies and become incapable of accepting facts, you end up in the Bizarro bubble Republicans have been now for some years.
Money cannot fix all of the above deficiencies.
Yeah yeah, and the Democrats won because sometimes you CAN win with a campaign based on lies and distortions, lol. Just a thought; Having to prove you are who you claim to be when voting is hardly suppressing the right to vote, rather it enhances the system by keeping it honest.
Tell that to a 90 year old woman who has voted in every election since old white men finally decided women could vote, who was born at home and does not have a drivers lic or birth certificate. Tell it to the poor who do not have a driver's license and not access to birth certificates. Yes it was voter suppression listen to what the Speaker in PA said "now we have insured Romney's election". You don't have a clue.
Oh yes it can! No work for welfare and illegal aliens go free got the block vote and both cost the taxpayer billions.
Keep ranting, loser. You make no sense at all.
LOL loser
They aren't immigrants, they're criminals that have broken our laws. That' why they make good democrats.
The repugs are going to say (if they haven't already) that money bought the election for President Obama and that may be true, but its from the many small donors like myself and not from millionaires and billionaires. So far I only know of Irwin Jacobs and George Soros for Democrats. Morgan Freeman and Fred Eychaner gave substantial amounts but nothing like the koch the crock brothers and trump the chump and addled adelson.
Whine all you want, poor losers, Obama is still the new president.
Sounds like these Republican supporters were Rove'd in there financial support for a candidate and team that couldn't and won't have the ability to deliver the votes as promised thru Rasmussen polls( we have a fare and balance our books on your donations).The current Repugnot party is over,restoration is unlikley regardless of money.
Hey, rtwng... These bastards are just in their usual mode of loudmouth defiance, to allegedly enhance their macho stupidity! They wanna live in the past, then, let 'em die in the past!
Mitten's knuckledragging enablers are gonna whine their asses off-- b/c they're... wounded. Their poor brains are scrambled and distorted, b/c-- the better man won! No doubt!!
Let them preach their doom and gloom BS excuses, b/c that's all they got. No pity. No mercy!
I love it when the rich who have more money than sense throw it away when enticed by a political wonk like Rove. LOL. Some of them would be better to use the money on plastic surgery, ugh what a bunch of ugly men.
Just downright, Ugly, SLIMY, and EVIL pouring out all over this nasty skin! Americans BETTER STAY ALERT, because, we KNOW they are working on something, they believe will continue to DIVIDE the country with their Racism, Gays, and Abortion Agenda.
Americans became DISAPPOINTED when Obama began kissing their azzes, not even trying to NEGOTIATE, he just gave it ALL AWAY! It's why most did not come out in vote in 2010, only to our DEMISE; I DID, but the MAJORITY DID NOT! We are suppose to get Angry, come out to find to ELECT a Congress and Senate to MAKE OBAMA DO WHAT WE HIRED HIM TO DO!
Truth is, almost half of America, remains RACIST, or how else could they vote AGAINST their best interest? These Americans keep me in AWE!
The PEOPLE SPOKE, now all we need to do is make the Dem's in office to GROW A PAIR! I hope the women elected into office, make them look like the punks they are, to force them to stand up and be a MAN or WOMAN! Like that Landeau out of LA! The rest of them got the hell out!
Money can't buy stupid! First, you must diminish the ability of public schools to teach our children by defunding them.....just what Republicans always do! But, the bubbles Republicans hide behind are translucent (we can see through them) and they are easily burst with a little truth....