Big-Donor Money Has Not Worked in the 2016 Campaign. Yet.

[Commentary] It would be soothing to think that the primary season’s bizarre twists and turns have shown the limits of the influence big money can have on the conduct and success of a political campaign. Jeb Bush blew through more than $100 million in campaign and “super PAC” money, and still dropped out early. Remember Gov Scott Walker (R-WI)? Big backers didn’t help him. Gov Chris Christie (R-NJ) ran out of money about the same time he ran out of mojo. Donald Trump says he’s self-financing his campaign, a ploy that also involves leasing his plane and office space to himself. On the Democratic side, Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has made himself an emblem of grass-roots campaign finance whose run is paid for by small donors and boasts no super PAC support. He has mounted such a surprisingly robust challenge to the super PAC-backed Hillary Clinton that many of her wealthy donors have already given her the maximum legal contribution of $2,700 each (although they can still contribute to her super PACs). So what’s the problem? The general election.