When money is not enough: Spitzer’s failed quest for power

How much is a vote worth? For Client No. 9, it’s worth $37.

Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, in his political comeback attempt, ran to become the next Comptroller of New York City. He lost. But in his loss, he managed to receive 48% of the vote, which amounted to 265,866 votes.

Spitzer spent $10 million campaigning for a small office that doesn’t carry much political weight.

This is how desperate he was to get back into office. He misses it that much. He misses the power. Spitzer misses that feeling of being important. There’s no doubt the escort aficionado was hoping this would be the first step in his comeback. Had he won, he’d already be eyeing his next office, the one with more power.

That’s why he spent $37 per vote.

That’s why he’s not the only one willing to spend a large part of their personal fortunes running for office. The USA Today points out how much of his own money Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent when he was running for office:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire from his eponymous media company, spent more than $260 million out of his own fortune in his three citywide campaigns — including $102 million in his 2009 race against William Thompson. His last race turned out to be his most expensive, The New York Times reported, costing roughly $174 per vote.

Both Spitzer and Bloomberg are worth millions. They have enough money to do anything they want. And they want to be in office because their money is not enough.

Power is intoxicating. Power is worth its weight in gold. Thanks to the likes of Eliot Spitzer and Michael Bloomberg, we can see just how much people are willing to spend to obtain it.

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