Election Spending Is Morally Repugnant

Jeanne Cummings, in an article on Politico.com, reports that Senator Barack Obama is set to break fundraising records for his current bid to take the Presidency of the United States. It is reported that his campaign has raised over $600 million thus far while Senator John McCain has raised about $250 million.

In a world of dire global poverty and economic hardship, this kind of spending on an election is morally wrong. An America-based charity Feed The Children encourages donors to spend 

$14 to feed a family in poverty for a month.

$1 million would therefore feed over 71 000 families for a month

Total US election campaign fundraising of $850 million would feed over 60 million families for a month!

I am forced to wonder if those who so gladly gave to the election campaigns would be as happy to donate to charities which make a difference to everyday American families.

This is not to mention the millions in Africa or Asia whose lives would be made more bearable each day through food-aid or micro-loans for business development or clean water tablets or primary healthcare which would be enabled through the money used for this election campaign season.

Am I the only one who finds the election spending way over the top? I simply cannot reconcile this type of spending on an election when every day I see poverty all around me and know that every night children go to bed hungry.