Money In Politics: Do The Biggest Spenders Really Always Win?

Money can't buy love or happiness, but it can buy elections.

That's the conventional wisdom, anyway. It helps explain why this year's race for Massachusetts governor attracted nearly $17 million in outside cash and the four ballot questions drew $28 million.

But is it really true? Are politics for sale? The Boston Globe dug into the numbers and reached some surprising conclusions. Here's one example: the ballot question to repeal the gas tax was outspent 31 to 1 by the side that wanted the keep the tax. But the repeal side still won!

WBUR's Sacha Pfeiffer digs into the campaign spending numbers.

David Scharfenberg, reporter for the Boston Globe. He tweets @dscharfGlobe.