Citizens United and the 2012 Presidential Election

For the second month running, Mitt Romney has raised more than $100 million for his Presidential Campaign bid, thanks in large part to conservative leaning Super PACs (political action committees) and individual donors.  President Obama raised $75 million in July where 98% of his donors contributed less than $250 per contribution (average donation $53).

With the Citizens United case squarely on point in this 2012 presidential election, several stories of note have emerged in recent weeks.  Citizens United, a U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 2010, provides first amendment free speech protections to corporations allowing unfettered electioneering contributions to specific candidates or causes directly from a corporation’s general treasury funds.  As we watch the November 2012 election unfold, it will be very interesting to see whether Citizen’s United ushers in an era of unprecedented election spending and negative campaigning, which many have predicted.

Two excellent articles showcase Citizens United and its apparent impact on the 2012 election.  The first is an exposé on the behind the scenes maneuvering engaged in primarily by Chief Justice John Roberts in getting the Citizens United result he sought in 2010:

Money Unlimited:  How Chief Justice Roberts Orchestrated the Citizens United Decision, by Jeffrey Toobin in The New Yorker.

The second is an examination of Citizens United impact on the current election:

How Much Has Citizens United Changed the Political Game? by Matt Bai in The New York Times Magazine.

In what appears to be an unprecedented era of election spending, these two articles are interesting reads.

(photo is in the public domain)