The recent collapse on Wall Street is limiting the number of election ads from independent political groups. Usually a force in the final weeks of a presidential race, ads from outside groups
-- such as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth -- are barely evident this year. It seems wealthy potential donors have shied away because they are too busy dealing with their own financial
portfolios.
"Most donors lost 20% or 30% of their net worth in eight days," says Phil Musser, Republican fundraising consultant. "That pretty well shut down the money discussion for
a lot of folks."
Four years ago, groups outside the party structure invested more than $130 million in TV ads. They have spent only about $17 million so far this year, per the Campaign
Media Analysis Group.
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