Do Big Campaign Donations Efficiently and/or Reliably Deliver the Votes in Heavily Contested Local Political Campaigns?

Two of the most thought-provocative articles we've ever seen yet, concerning the question of whether big campaign donations efficiently and/or reliably deliver the votes in heavily contested local political campaigns

We've left yesterday's 2011 Ogden City Municipal Primary Election Results page up at the top of the WCF Front Page up for most of the morning today (in order to squeeze out every last WCF reader comment possible.) Looks like that WCF article, the second most-read WCF article in over two years, seems to be finally "tapped out," comment-wise, however.

"Time marches on", as the old saying goes, so we now have some "chewy" new "political nuts-and-bolts" material to dwell on, submitted thusly via email by regular WCF contributor Dan Schroeder:

Hi Rudi,

I put a new article up on the Ogden Ethics Blog yesterday, and another quick one today. Care to highlight them on WCF?

Dan

Lo & Behold... Gentle Dan's wish is our command; and we accordingly provide links to each of these two new highly-cerebral and deeply analytical articles, set forth below in chronological order:

• Visualizing Campaign Fundraising
• Dollars vs. Votes (preliminary)

In the wake of yesterday's Ogden City Municipal Primary Election balloting, we're pleased to present a couple of the most thought-provocative articles we've ever seen yet (anywhere), concerning the oft-lightly considered, narrow question of whether big campaign donations efficiently and/or reliably deliver the votes in heavily contested local political campaigns.

Don't let the cat get yer tongues, O Gentle Ones.

So what say you about all this?