Send VIDEO REPORT: Record Amounts Spent on Recall Race

Posted: 4:19 PM May 7, 2012
Reporter: Rachelle Baillon

VIDEO: Record Amounts Spent on Recall Race 6pm 5/7/12

Monday, May 7, 2012--6:15p.m.

MADISON--Even if you're not politically-inclined, you're likely aware of the candidates--and issues--at the heart of the gubernatorial recall.

"Gov. Walker is a very polarizing figure, some people love him, some people hate him, there's not much in between with the guy and so I think voters are more or less locked in," said Mike McCabe, the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Yet even though there doesn't appear to be many undecided Wisconsinites, record amounts of money are being spent trying to sway voters right or left. "Even before the primary election we had already seen somewhere between $40 and 45 million spent, which is the most we've ever seen in any state election in Wisconsin history," said McCabe.

McCabe said for the 2010 gubernatorial race about $37 million were pumped into the contest. This time around, he's predicting we'll see somewhere between $60-80 million spent by the end of the June 5th election. "I think it'll be closer to 80 than 60," he said. "So it'll probably double, at least double the old record for spending in a state election. So this is totally off the charts."

Despite the giant totals, McCabe is predicting there won't be much "bang for the buck" in this race. "People in most markets are already seeing near saturation advertising," he said. "It's hard to watch pretty much anything on television without encountering some political ads--that will probably still intensify some in the closing weeks of the election." "A lot of this, you know, I think people are pretty much numb to," he said. "I think they've more or less made up their minds most voters and so I think it's really going to go in one ear and out the other."

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