Link
EDIT the format doesn't show up well here.. see link for numbers
After the election, the money trail tells no lies, and holds no secrets. The graph below is of the cumulative independent expenditures for the DCCC and NRCC from October 1st through the election.
Here's how they break down:
EDIT the format doesn't show up well here.. see link for numbers
NRCC Number of IE's Expenditures % of Numbers % of total $
Against Candidate 611 $40,435,187.13 76.00% 89.50%
For Candidate 193 $4,741,391.33 24.00% 10.50%
Total 804 $45,176,578.46
DCCC Number of IE's Expenditures % of Numbers % of total $
Against Candidate 31 $4,822,996.44 9.12% 17.57%
For Candidate 309 $22,622,874.58 90.88% 82.43%
Total 340 $27,445,871.02
The Republican Party, having seen the "right way - wrong way" poll numbers in the negative, as well as low re-elects for a lot of their endangered incumbents, were forced to tear down everything in order to to hold on to power. This was a well-coordinated attack by Bush, the RNC, and the other Republican organizations to drive up the general Democratic Party negatives, as well as each Democratic candidates negatives.
That's a 10:1 ratio in terms of dollars spent in negative advertising of the NRCC over the DCCC.
Seven cycles in a row now, the Democrats in the House have gotten their teeth kicked in by the thugs in the NRCC, and what does the DCCC do? Play nice, and expect that the historical cycles and poll indicators will propel them into the majority. Democrats in the House continue to wait, while the Republicans find ways to beat the polls, make history, and gain more power.
If the Democrats in the House want to regain the majority before the next historical cycle gives them a break in 2012, they will start picking a fight. Not in the halls of Congress, but out in the street, out in the CD's.