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Las Vegas Sands CEO and Chairman Sheldon Adelson, shown in this April 26, 2012, file photo, is backing a Republican group trying to persuade Jewish voters in battleground states to support presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Friday, Nov. 16, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Sun archives
- Sands CEO Adelson continues campaign spending spree (10-25-2012)
- Wynn, Adelson spread influence to state-level races (10-11-2012)
- Sheldon Adelson: The method and motives behind his money (9-25-2012)
Sun coverage
Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson spent an awful lot of money trying to get Republicans elected to the White House and the U.S. Senate this year.
In political parlance, Adelson and his team lost.
Democrat Barack Obama is installed for a second term, and Democrats expanded their majority in the Senate.
In business parlance, that’s a poor return on investment.
By most calculations, Adelson became the largest Republican donor this year. According to the last count from the Center for Responsive Politics, Adelson gave $53 million to GOP candidates and organizations this year.
And that’s just the money that can be publicly accounted for. Adelson also reportedly pledged to give so-called “dark money” groups — those that exploit campaign finance loopholes to hide their donors — as much as $20 million.
By his own admission, Adelson’s plan was to spend up to $100 million — a fraction of the $20 billion he’s worth — influencing politics this year.
“They wanted to take back the Senate and beat Obama,” one Democratic source said. “And they didn’t do it.”
The Sunlight Foundation analyzed the money spent by the types of organizations Adelson liked to give to and found a poor track record. American Crossroads, for example, spent 1.29 percent of its money on successful efforts nationally. To put it another way, 98.71 percent of its money went toward either supporting candidates who lost or opposing candidates who won. Its sister organization Crossroads GPS spent 14.4 percent of its money on successful campaigns, the Sunlight Foundation found, meaning 85.6 percent of its money went to unsuccessful efforts.
Politics isn’t synonymous with business, necessarily. One side wins and one side loses in politics. And this was a big year for Democrats for a variety of reasons, including a superior turnout organization and the luck of drawing flawed opponents in many races.
Still, it’s a relevant question to ask: Were the millions contributed by Adelson and other billionaires like him well-spent?
“It’s a good question,” said one Republican operative, even as he bristled at the notion the money may have been a waste. “It’s one that donors and candidates and operatives alike will have to answer.
“But it’s very easy to Monday morning quarterback this stuff.”
Look at it in reverse, the operative said, pointing to one of a few successful races that Crossroads spent money in: the Nevada Senate bout between Republican Dean Heller and Democrat Shelley Berkley.
“If they hadn’t been there, maybe Shelley Berkley would’ve been elected,” he said.
Crossroads spokesman Nate Hodson defended the record this way: “Senate Democrats leveraged the power of the incumbency to drastically outraise Republican challengers by $40 million. GOP super PACs like American Crossroads helped level the playing field to make these races competitive.”
Crossroads’ affiliation with Karl Rove, the brain behind George W. Bush's political success who founded the group in 2010, is what attracted many of the millions Adelson spent.
“It’s not like he just wrote blank checks,” the Republican operative said. “There was obviously a pitch. And when you have a pitch being made by Karl Rove, who is one of the top political operatives in the country, that’s significant.
“But (Rove's) reputation was affected by this. I’m not sure he can go in and make a pitch and ask for more and more money now.”
Just how the groups spent their money has come under increasing scrutiny in the wake of the Republican defeat. Crossroads, for example, wrote off running a ground game — an organized effort to turn out voters — feeling it would be inefficient because outside groups legally cannot coordinate with campaigns.
Indeed, Las Vegas was a test case for the turnout operation in 2010 on behalf of Republican Sharron Angle in the U.S. Senate race. It didn’t work.
This go-round, Crossroads sunk most of its money into television advertising. It’s easier to unofficially coordinate with a campaign’s message on television by piggy-backing on ads the campaign is already running or using the messaging coming out of the campaign itself.
But so many ads were running in battleground states such as Nevada, they soon became background noise to many voters.
That’s not to say the strategy is an utter failure.
Crossroads posed a huge problem to Democrat Steven Horsford, who was running in a heavily Democratic congressional district against an opponent with huge name recognition.
Horsford continually struggled to raise enough money to stay on television. He ran only one campaign ad — the rest were jointly funded by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
But Crossroads, with its almost unlimited funding, could swing into the void — as it did in the presidential race for Mitt Romney and the U.S. Senate race for Heller.
“What’s frustrating is they can just drop $500,000 on the air,” one Democratic operative said. “It can take a candidate two months to raise what these guys can find by digging in the couch.”
Timing that $500,000 is what makes the outside groups effective.
“When they’re strategic, when they’re filling the gap (by going up early) or tracking when a candidate’s point buys go down and coming in to add capacity ... they can have an impact,” the Democratic operative said.
And that’s the reason it’s unlikely the billionaires will take their money out the political arena.
“I doubt there was any regret in the amount of money Adelson spent,” a Republican operative said. “Maybe he’s not completely happy with the way it was spent, in retrospect. But we are all geniuses after the election.”
Gee I remember all the Democrat whining about Republican PAC
Next time stop the whining
Obama's Whos Who Billionaires are supporting "tax free" 501 (c) PACs like Moveon.org, Media Matters, and Obama's off the books campaign PAC Priorities USA:
Fred Eychaner
James Simons
Jeffrey Katzenburg
Irwin Jacobs
Jon Stryker
Michael Bloomberg
Steven Spielberg
Warren Buffet
George Soros
Phil Falcone
Peter Lewis
Steve Bing
Oprah Winfrey
Ted Turner
Jeff Bezos
Ron Perelman
Steve Cohen
Laurene (Steve) Jobs
Andrew Grove
Bill Gates
Mark Cuban
Mark Zuckerman
John Paulson
Haim Saban
Chris Korn
Bless him for joining the fight.
Of course, you leftists at The Sun won't appreciate that, because you have another fight underway---the fight for bigger government and less freedom in America.
Bad luck with that.
BTW, it's also HIS money. He can spend it how he wants.
That seems to bother you as well.
Partisan hacks.
I guess he could have wasted it on failing green energy companies.
Bet Karl Rove laughed all the way to the bank !
He should have spent the money on some hair plugs.
I find it humorous that the only Nevada race Adelson "won" was the against his former employee, Shelley Berkley. Too bad there wasn't a more constructive way Mr. Adelson could have resolved his apparent anger issues. Yes, it is his money and because of that several media outlets in Southern Nevada are no doubt richer from his spending spree. However, just imagine his millions spent to create a training program for Las Vegas teens or maybe bringing a professional sports team and arena to this city. Instead, Mr. Adelson spewed hostile and misleading commercial bombs across our airwaves, leaving this resident to think twice about recommending certain hotel accommodations and activities to friends and family visiting Las Vegas. Both Mr. Adelson and Mr. Wynn deserve to see their properties take a financial hit for the political pot stirring they supported this past year. And maybe they'll devote their money and energies to more constructive endeavors in the future.
How could he improve the lives of his employees, those who make him rich, with $100 million? He cries about costs, health care and wages but has $100 million laying around to influence millionaire politicians to do his bidding.
Bob, What is it you want to do, that doesn't cause harm to others, that you can't do?
So does this finally end the argument that the one with the most money wins elections? Sure money doesn't hurt but it is no guarantee that you are going to win.
If anything these big donors who unabashedly give out money to candidates (and get publicity for it) often get undesirable results. When a candidate receives that much money from one source, the general populace will get the impression that the candidate is being bought and will vote for the other candidate. Let's face it, the average Joe already distrusts and despises the ultra-rich and a candidate's affiliation with them simply taints their image.
Thank you Mr. Adelson for taking that money out of your wallet and putting it in circulation and helping America's economy.
Lots of T.V. stations, printers and radio stations did great business thanks to you and some of your friends.
As usual, your candidates did not win but you are used to that. You did add a lot of cash flow to the whole show though. ;-)
It really doesn't matter how much you spend when you have a candidate that dismisses 47% of the population. You can spend 50 billion, you'll still lose. The republicans continue to come up short with Latino, African American and women voters. There's about 30% non-white in this country.
You can scream hand outs, leftists, liberals, communists to your hearts content. You are only doing your own cause harm as more and more people get turned off by that ignorant rhetoric.
As I said, have at it...complain all you want, spend all you want. It's not going to change the result of losing until the GOP makes some changes in their approach. If they want to hold onto that same approach that lost against a very beatable candidate, be my guest. All the money in the world won't solve that problem.
Lets talk about the Republican Party Brokers NOT fully Vetting Romney's Massive Conflicts of Interest regarding his Investment Positions, remember in 2008 Hilary Clinton sold out of every stock she and Bill owned , and so look how this 1 Investment was being Used against Romney being seen as Manipulating the VOTE for crying out loud this would have been something that should have been debated in the Republican Primary don't you think ??? The DEMs had his In a BOX with this , if he won just think the backlash , and certainly they were in Key states advertising this Conflict so I say where was the republican power brokers at with their thinking about Romney's ability to rise above this one BIG conflict ???
Just think the Riots that a Romney Win would have Unleashed ?????
Once you read this Cleveland Ohio article the other 2 play right into how the Democrats and Obama Administration would have Turned this Country Upside-down with a Romney win , And I say WHY did the Republican Paower Brokers even Consider Romney as the Viable candidate ???
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/1913...
http://www.salon.com/2011/09/27/votingha...
Remote Vote Tampering Attack on a Sequoia AVC Voting Machine by Argonne National Lab
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...
What these very successful businessman were trying to do is head off a looming disaster if the country keeps going in this anti competitive direction. Their business like most small businesses half to compete to stay in business unlike the backers of the Chameleon party and the ignorance of the 47%. The end result is just beginning.
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/20115859/h...
Quick, write your Congressman and demand a bailout of this American icon, Hostess HoHo. Osama is dead, Gm is alive and Obama and Harry can save a Ho.
Money well spent
All of the money thrown away by Las Vegas Billionaires would have gone a long ways towards building a First Class Medical Research Center for UNLV and leaving a Positive Legacy behind. Instead most will just go down in History as today's version of the Robber Barons. There is still time for them to make a really positive legacy statement for Las Vegas, but I would not hold my breath.
"All of the money thrown away by Las Vegas Billionaires would have gone a long ways towards building a First Class Medical Research Center for UNLV and leaving a Positive Legacy behind."..................... So wouldn't all the money wasted on Chinese solar panels. The difference being that it is his money and not the Fascist vision of the Chameleon party, the true "Robber Barons".
He could have solved the school crises. What has he done for Nevada, except to try an steal the sidewalks.
Big ups to Warrior, Rusty, Coburn, et al. Keep up the good work. Being your true hateful selves only strengthens the democratic party and ensures that the left will continue along the path of winning the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 elections. Read that again slowly baggers. Please do not stop logging on to this website and countless others, and posting your ignorant, hateful right wing rhetoric. Quite frankly, it's the Dems best weapon. Perhaps one day you'll figure it out...but judging by your reactions after this election, I doubt it. I love me some tea party!
Chucky is going to have to make a few more movies to pay for those losses! Oh, and by the way, hopefully the investigation into his dealing with the Chinese Communists will proceed at a ramped up pace now that Obama won the election. Payback is a beeotch Shelly!
he helped waste other people's time and money. Hopefully a constitutional amendment getting rid of citizen's united will put this guy's tactics and ideology in the dust bin of history.
It looks like Sheldon essentially paid for Carl Rove to crash and burn. In that sense, it was money well spent.
"Their business like most small businesses half to compete to stay in business unlike the backers of the Chameleon party and the ignorance of the 47%"
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And why you will always find yourself outside, looking in. Romney already stated the 47% was wrong and essentially a dumb thing to say (the harm was already done). Keep up that grand rhetoric Warrior and you'll be here in 2016 wondering why you lost again..complaining, ranting and screaming why why why!! Your party has to change.
As the House would say after fleecing a whale, "Thanks for the $50 million and to show our appreciation we've arranged for a free limo ride to the airport. Please come back soon."
Go ahead sit back and bless people for being selfish and greedy. It is his money, lets not forget that he made it on the backs of minimum wage workers so he could take it and invest in his foreign interests. He is a greedy, miserable old man who could care less about the children and hardworking people in the community that made him wealthy.
Lobbying is nothing more than legalized bribery. If we will ever have a true democracy, lobbying needs to be outlawed. The pharmaceutical companies, oil barons, food corporations or any other billionaire, should not have the right to buy votes.
Sorry Tom I pledge my allegiance to the Flag. How's that Benghazi fairytale? (lie)
Nice article.
What all these political geniuses forget is that all politics is local. E.g., give $1000 to an elementary school, a church, a high school band, or any other local organization with the promise of another $1000 if your candidate wins - then you start influencing the vote of the ordinary person.
Give it to a tv station or a printer - or an interent popup ad and it does nothing.
Being rich and smart are not necessarily the same traits.
"lets not forget that he made it on the backs of minimum wage workers"............ Democrats and Republicans both need a reliable source of cheap naive labor to exploit, and their doing a fantastic job too! Mitt had an illegals cutting his grass, trying to make ends meet don't ya know. Harry Reid has a work force 900,000 minimum wage earners in Nevada, of course none that work here are illegal, nor do the ones that are illegal vote, ask Kung Fu ledgend Ross Miller.
So can we expect the same "in depth" reporting on how much the Unions spent of their member's money to buy their boy's way back into the white house??
Eddie: Have to disagree that "the average Joe already distrusts and despises the ultra-rich". Each case is different. Take, for instance, Warren Buffet. The man has gravitas. Says what he means and means what he says. He deals in facts and never, ever shoots from the lip.
Probably more to your point, Eddie, are people like Sheldon Adelson, who has professed shame at wearing the military uniform of our country; Steve Wynn, who would rather do business in Communist China than here; and Donald Trump, who can't go one day without embarassing himself. Certainly others could be added to this list but this subset made the most headlines.
Now, of the four men aforementioned, who did the most to re-elect the President? I would say Adelson, Wynn and Trump for the simple reason that every pronouncement they made vis a vis the "real" America was antithetical to how we were raised. In short, they all lack gravitas and seemingly are big fish in a small pond suffering from a protacted bout of male menopause; crying out for our respect that was once earned but now carelessly tossed aside.
Karl Rove's Rule #1 of PAC Giving: Big Money should be handed over but never heard from. These three overshadowed their candidate and his message. They alienated the majority of Americans and the rest, as they say, is history.
"Sorry Tom I pledge my allegiance to the Flag. How's that Benghazi fairytale? (lie)"
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See you in 2016...screaming away. You just don't get how to win. Likely never will. It's going to eat your insides out if you aren't careful.
This is not a personal attack. Mr A. should invest in an image consultant. He needs to get rid of the orange hair, combover and orange skin.I am always amazed that millionaires such as Trump and Adelson pay so little attention to these defects. I suppose they are surrounded by "yes" people that are afraid to tell them how they really look.
"How could he improve the lives of his employees"
He was trying to save their children from continued deficit-spending by Obama. Look at how many votes he bought.
Next time Adelson should put his $50M on red or black. The odds are much better.
This is not a personal attack. Mr A. should invest in an image consultant. He needs to get rid of the orange hair, combover and orange skin.I am always amazed that millionaires such as Trump and Adelson pay so little attention to these defects. I suppose they are surrounded by "yes" people that are afraid to tell them how they really look.
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Because most people his age have faded out of the limelight. They have retired. They are playing golf, swimming, enjoying their grandchildren. These guys are past the point of getting makeovers. Aging has happened. You can't stop it. Sheldon needs to go play shuffleboard in his Kramer-tops, sandals and pipe. These guys are overstaying.
He'll be 80 next year. I know these guys like to stay beyond the norm, but that "norm" was 70, maybe 75 if you needed the money. A lot of people applaud these old guys that overstay in the name of "He's 70 years old and he can still meet his sales quota"..but to the average person who sees the loss of hearing, shaky gait, memory loss, you are sitting there saying "time to retire" my friend.
Guys like Sheldon don't know the work meaning of "maybe it's time to pack it in"....
this only applies to THIS time around.
give it a little while and even the most diehard democrats will see how communistic Obama, Horsford and Reid really are.
take from those who earn it and give it to people who will never earn anything on purpose
COMMUNIST DEMOCRATS ALL - through and through
he made not of got the most for his money but he a man of principal he stood up for what he believe in and i agree with him my hats off to him
The Question should be, what was Sheldon Adelson expecting from his donations? What was Mr. Adelson buying? Who promised him what?
Essentially, Mr. Adelson became a sucker for the Republican Party in giving money, first to Newt Gingrich, then to Eric Cantor, Rick Santorum, Karl Rove super pacs, and Mitt Romney. Once Adelson gave to Newt Gingrich the word was out he is an easy touch.
The fact Mr. Adelson willingly gave to so many flawed candidates says a lot, a sort of desperation, for something or to get something done. What was it?