Most Expensive Campaign In History

The 2012 campaign for president is shaping up to be the most expensive campaign in the history of the United States. Some has estimated that before it is over around $3 billion will have been spent, and considering the fact that super-PACs have jumped into the spending equation on both sides, I believe it.

Large sums of money keep flowing in to both campaigns and both party coffers. The Obama campaign raised $46 million in June, while the Romney campaign raised $33 million. But when those figures are combined with the amounts raised by the parties, the numbers flip and the Republicans come out on top -- $106 million for the Republicans and $71 million for the Democrats. And those figures don't include any money raised by the super-PACs.

But while the money is rolling in, it is also being spent very quickly. In the past, a campaign didn't really start until after Labor Day, or at least until after the party national conventions had been held -- that was when the big spending started. But the rules seem to have been changed for this election. Here are some campaign spending figures for some states considered to be swing states (states that could go either way) since May 1st:

ROMNEY EXPENDITURES (Swing States)

$3,957,525..........Romney campaign (Colorado)
$701,274..........Republican National Committee (Colorado)
$3,496,245..........Romney super-PACs (Colorado)

$4,181,955..........Romney campaign (Florida)
$14,434,766..........Romney super-PACs (Florida)

$3,732,985..........Romney campaign (Iowa)
$683,915..........Republican National Committee (Iowa)
$4,672,503..........Romney super-PACs (Iowa)

$3,567,762..........Romney super-PACs (Michigan)

$1,143,045..........Romney super-PACs (Minnesota)

$2,286,260..........Romney campaign (Nevada)
$506,536..........Republican National Committee (Nevada)
$3,307,760..........Romney super-PACs (Nevada)

$588,280..........Romney campaign (New Hampshire)
$876,791..........Republican National Committee (New Hampshire)
$4,177,752..........Romney super-PACs (New Hampshire)

$315,047..........Romney super-PACs (New Mexico)

$5,570,451..........Romney campaign (North Carolina)
$1,130,907..........Republican National Committee (North Carolina)
$7,404,332..........Romney super-PACs (North Carolina)

$8,832,935..........Romney campaign (Ohio)
$1,367,136..........Republican National Committee (Ohio)
$8,557,204..........Romney super-PACs (Ohio)

$5,111,896..........Romney super-PACs (Pennsylvania)

$4,820,508..........Romney campaign (Virginia)
$1,245,495..........Republican National Committee (Virginia)
$8,037,751..........Romney super-PACs (Virginia)

$1,870,695..........Romney super-PACs (Wisconsin)

OBAMA EXPENDITURES (Swing States)

$9,569,327..........Obama campaign (Colorado)
$2,375,522..........Obama super-PACs (Colorado)

$17,530,682..........Obama campaign (Florida)
$3,335,304..........Obama super-PACs (Florida)

$8,059,202..........Obama campaign (Iowa)
$304,475..........Planned Parenthood (Iowa)

$7,244,362..........Obama campaign (Nevada)
$222,960..........Obama super-PACs (Nevada)

$5,354,283..........Obama campaign (New Hampshire)

$9,927,176..........Obama campaign (North Carolina)

$21,014,508..........Obama campaign (Ohio)
$3,303,162..........Obama super-PACs (Ohio)

$4,589,044..........Obama campaign (Pennsylvania)
$1,964,278..........Obama super-PAC (Pennsylvania)

$11,466,103..........Obama campaign (Virginia)
$2,353,025..........Obama super-PACs (Virginia)
$672,330..........Planned Parenthood (Virginia)

$48,883..........Planned Parenthood (Wisconsin)

EXPENDITURE TOTALS

TOTAL FOR ROMNEY CAMPAIGN..........$33,970,899
TOTAL FOR RNC..........$6,512,054
TOTAL FOR ROMNEY super-PACs..........$66,096,758
TOTAL EXPENDITURES FOR ROMNEY..........$106,579,711

TOTAL FOR OBAMA CAMPAIGN..........$94,754,687
TOTAL FOR DNC..........0
TOTAL FOR OBAMA super-PACs..........$13,554,251
TOTAL FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD..........$1,025,688
TOTAL EXPENDITURES FOR OBAMA..........$109,334,626

TOTAL SWING STATE EXPENDITURES FOR BOTH..........$215,914,337

Remember, this is only the spending done in the swing states. It does not count the national advertising or anything that might have been spent in other individual states -- and the campaign hasn't even officially started yet. You can imagine what it's going to be like after the conventions, when the spending really kicks into high gear.