You might not think it with all the high-profile bankrollers like Sheldon Adelson and Foster Freiss, but the 2012 GOP race has actually been unusually cheap. Even including spending by super PACs, the Republican hopefuls have spent less cash so far than in 2008, or any campaign since the 1990s. Mitt Romney, despite being the presumed frontrunner this time around, has actually raised money at a slower pace than he did four years ago. The weak economy and drawn-out primary process could be partly to blame, but the most likely culprit seems to be voter enthusiasm—or lack thereof.
