Why Spend $40–$100 Million Manipulating Voters When Solutions Can Be Shared for Free on Social Media

Why does running for Governor now cost $40–$100 million?

Most of that money isn’t spent solving problems. It’s spent on advertising—television spots, targeted digital ads, consultants, and messaging strategies designed to influence emotion rather than understanding. The result is a flood of political noise that most people have learned to tune out. We’ve all heard it: there’s a problem, it’s bad, and I’m the one to fix it. The words change, but the structure never does.

But society has changed. The way we communicate has changed. Technology now allows ideas to be shared directly, clearly, and at essentially no cost. So the obvious question is: why are we still relying on an expensive, outdated campaign model built on manipulation and repetition?

What if campaigns focused on something simpler and more honest—clearly written platforms that fully explain problems and offer viable solutions? Not slogans. Not soundbites. But real explanations people can read, think about, disagree with, and discuss. If those ideas actually make sense, people don’t need to be targeted or persuaded through ads. They will share them voluntarily through social media—because they believe in them.

This approach doesn’t eliminate debate or disagreement. It improves it. Instead of one or two staged, televised debates deciding an election, trust would be built through thousands of everyday conversations. Endorsement wouldn’t come from donors or consultants, but from citizens saying, “I’ve read this. I understand it. And I think it’s worth supporting.”

The real issue isn’t whether we can spend $100 million on a campaign. It’s whether that money wouldn’t do far more good elsewhere—fixing infrastructure, improving education, strengthening communities—while campaigns return to their actual purpose: informing the public honestly.

A campaign built on ideas rather than money wouldn’t just be cheaper. It would be healthier. It would encourage intelligent engagement, reward clarity, and make sincerity a strength again.

That’s not rejecting democracy. That’s allowing it to evolve.

— Wes Brown

Candidate for Governor