Campaign spending on radio and television advertising has passed the $500 million mark. And about $9 out of every $10 – in total, $205 million – spent by an outside group is going to support Romney.

But those independent, swing voters Obama and Romney are aiming to woo may just be a myth, because few voters are truly up for grabs, research suggests. About one-third of Americans describe themselves as independent voters, creating a widespread impression that a large group of Americans will provide the decisive swing votes in this year’s election. But that impression is misleading, polling experts and political scientists say. Many self-described independents — close to half, according to surveys — reliably vote for one party or the other. And many true swing voters live in states, like California or Texas, where no analyst doubts the outcome in November.

So it is no surprise that Democratic pollster Mark Mellman told NPR that “Eighty percent of campaign spending is wasted.” That means $3.2 billion of the minimum estimated $4 billion of this presidential election’s campaign finances will go to waste on efforts that won’t affect the vote, according to a former presidential strategist.

What we have are political campaigns spending exorbitant sums of money that will accomplish literally nothing, when that money could go to build schools, feed the hungry, research diseases, or any number of productive and socially beneficially projects. Instead, all that time, money, and energy is poured into toxic campaigns that have no value whatsoever.

(Source: nathanhmoore)