NY tourists stunned by lavish US campaign spending

NEW YORK - As the dust settles in a tight race where President Barack Obama had secured re-election Tuesday, tourists here were marvelling at the lavish campaign spending of the two camps.

The 2012 presidential election campaign bill has been put at $6 billion, making it the most "expensive" battle for the top job ever.

Ken Prothero, a 62-year-old IT manager from England, said elections in his country were "a lot cheaper", as there was a cap on the campaign spending.

"In England, we can't understand why the US spends so much money, money that should have been better used," Prothero told Xinhua during a visit to Times Square.

"They're wasting it. They're fighting each other. The person with the most money here gets the most press coverage. We don't do it that way," he said.

Moulad Teab, a French doctor, agreed, saying his country had put a legal limit on the costs of the campaign.

"The US Supreme Court set no limits (on spending) for the parties. It is not possible in France," he said.

The same is true in Germany, where the election system is totally different from that of the United State.

Frauke Haase, a German physician, said her country spent much less in campaigns as it was the party that chose the head of the country. "You have to work at a party very hard."

Australian bank manager Trevor Dixon said "no one needs that (6-billion-dollar campaign cost) in Australia," which had a different campaign system.