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Who's Paying for their Ads? The Presidential Field's top Donors

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Created: 08 February, 2012
Updated: 21 November, 2022
2 min read

No spin here-- not even editorial commentary. Instead, we're going to take a look at the facts and only the facts in this article today and allow you to draw your own conclusions, form your opinions, and discuss and debate them in the comment thread below. A candidate's top contributors by company and by industry are publicly available knowledge as FEC rules require candidates to disclose this information quarterly. You can access these data and more at a fantastic political resource called OpenSecrets.org. When a company is listed below, it does not necessarily mean the company itself donated to the candidates, but that the company's employees did.

I've put this list together because an informed electorate should scrutinize just which companies' and industries' employees believe which candidate best serves their interests. These are reliable data that can reveal a lot about a political candidate and affect a voter's assessment of that candidate. For our purposes today, we'll be examining the 2012 presidential field and the information below is current as of the publication of this article, but always feel free to peruse OpenSecrets yourself to learn more about any politician by doing what is so obvious that it has become a cliche-- follow the money:

Barack Obama (D)

Top Companies:

Microsoft Corp, a global software company

DLA Piper, an international law firm

Google Inc, the Internet search engine and email giant

Top Industries:

IVP Existence Banner

Retired

Misc Business

Lawyers/Law Firms

Mitt Romney (R)

Top Companies:

Goldman Sachs, a multinational investment bank

JPMorgan Chase & Co, a multinational investment bank

Morgan Stanley, a global financial services company

IVP Existence Banner

Top Industries:

Securities & Investment

Retired

Misc Business

Ron Paul (R)

Top Companies:

US Army, a branch of the US Military

US Navy, a branch of the US Military

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US Air Force, a branch of the US Military

Top Industries:

Misc Business

Retired

Computers/Internet

Newt Gingrich (R)

Top Companies:

Rock-Tenn Co, a global paper and packaging manufacturer

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Las Vegas Sands, a global integrated resort company

Poet LLC, a US biofuel company

Top Industries:

Retired

Misc Business

Securities & Investment

Rick Santorum (R)

Top Companies:

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Universal Health Services, a US hospital management company

Blue Cross/Blue Shield, a US health insurance association

Achristavest, a North American property development company

Top Industries:

Retired

Misc Business

Real Estate

Gary Johnson (L)

IVP Existence Banner

Top Companies:

Tower Energy Group, a US petroleum wholesaler

Corriente Advisors, a US private investment firm

Welcom Products, a US folding handcart manufacturer

Top Industries:

Misc Business

Retired

Securities & Investment

IVP Existence Banner

What does all this information mean to you? Any surprises? Anything you would have guessed before reading it? Does it change your impression or opinion of any of the candidates? Would it affect your vote for any of them? Does this information really matter at all? How much? How should it be weighed against the other reasons to support or not support a candidate? Discuss!

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