Attack ad burn rate estimation

I have mentioned in the past that the relative fundraising numbers are only part of the comparison of the financial health of the main parties.  The burn rate is the other part of the equation.  Having lots of revenue always puts pressure on the expenditure side of the balance sheet.  Especially for poor managers.  And we all are painfully aware of the managerial competence of the Conservatives.  Particularly in financial matters.  But I have not been able to take a stab at quantifying this until now.

From Far and Wide we can find the Conservatives Q1 fundraising totals: 

Here's a rundown, year to year differences:

Conservatives 4,361,540.04 (39,432 donors) 2009

Conservatives 4,954,550.22 (44,345 donors) 2008

Note that the year over year total is off a bit.

And, from today's Rocco Rossi email, we can guess the cost of the attack ad campaign (in bold).

Friend --

Following a week of bad news for Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, today it gets even worse. His one hope to divert attention away from his government’s incompetence—the personal attack ads against Michael Ignatieff—can be completely neutralized. We need your help to do it, it doesn’t take much effort and it won’t cost you a penny.

An independent Angus Reid study published today finds that Stephen Harper’s strategy is backfiring and that Michael’s honest and personal response to the attacks resonates strongly with Canadians. Stephen Harper is spending an estimated $750 000 dollars a week on this campaign, but you can help beat it with nothing more than a few clicks of your mouse.

Watch Michael's response to the attack ads

Let’s take this message Canada wide. Forward it to everyone you know and show Stephen Harper that Canadians won’t be distracted from the real story—the economy—and are ready for a new kind of politics.

Rocco Rossi
National Director, Liberal Party of Canada

As of today, the ads have been running for just over 3 weeks with no end in sight. So let us say the attack ad campaign has cost $225,000.00.  Give or take.  And this doesn't include the cost of the chairs for Angry Steve to kick now that this ad foolishness appears to be a flop.

So the Conservatives have spent approximately half of their first quarter fundraising on an ad campaign that has been about effective as their fiscal stimulus.  During a time of apparently declining revenues.  Last year they may have dropped a million on legal fees for the Cadman litigation.  To what end?

One of the most difficult managerial tasks is controlling expenditures.  The Conservatives have champagne tastes.  If they find they have to get by on a beer budget there is a lot of hurt coming their way.  There is some talk from the Liberals of limiting pre-writ spending.  The Liberals should  encourage the Conservatives to spend more.

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