GOP got more bang for its billion

The Washington Post has some interesting insights about last year's most important political topic:

The 2004 presidential race was the most expensive in history. While Republicans did outspend Democrats - $1.14 billion to $1.08 billion - the difference wasn't that much. Despite their fundraising success, Democrats simply did not spend their money as effectively as Bush. In a $2.2 billion election, two relatively small expenditures by Bush and his allies stand out for their impact: the $546,000 ad buy by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the Bush campaign's $3.25 million contract with the firm TargetPoint Consulting.(...) Those tactical successes were part of the overall advantage the Bush campaign maintained over Kerry in terms of planning, decision making and strategy. The Kerry campaign, in addition to being outspent at key times, was outorganized and outthought, as Democratic professionals grudgingly admit.