As Super PACs raise larger and larger sums of money to put towards operations supporting specific candidates, Politico
reports that these organizations are evolving to become more like
shadow campaigns, “including phone banking, field organizing, direct
mail, polling, state-of-the-race memos and even surrogate operations.”
“The
ambitious expansion is another example of a shift in political
power away from the major parties and their candidates to deep-pocketed
outsiders. But it’s left campaign operatives and even candidates
grumbling about whether the super PACs are actually helping their
favored candidates… With advertising, campaigns and outside groups
can figure out what one another are doing by consulting spending reports
with details of buys that each is required to disclose in close to real
time. With on-the-ground organizing, it’s tougher to determine quickly
who’s doing what, while staying within the bounds of the rules.”