Donation dollars, the lifeblood of any political campaign, have been pouring into Democratic headquarters more this election year than in any other since 1990. The medical establishment has donated $42 million to Democratic politicians on the campaign trail while the Republican politicians have only benefited from $34.6 million donations from the medical community.
That donation difference accounts for 55% of these medical dollars contributed to the Democratic Party and 45% to the Republican Party. Since 1990, the split remained almost constant at 58% to Republicans and 42% to Democrats.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have each received $5 million from the medical sector and John McCain has received just less than $2 million. One potential reason cited for the difference in contribution distribution is the healthcare plans each candidate has presented thus far. Both Democratic candidates call for expanded health insurance coverage that would add $100 billion in federal funds to the healthcare system each year. The McCain proposal calls for limited federal funding for health care.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the American Dental Association and the American Hospital Association are the biggest contributors in the medical industry to political campaigns, as are people and political action committees affiliated with Pfizer.
Source: WSJ