ON POTATO CHIPS, THE IMPORTANCE OF

"The Center for Responsive Politics calculates that, by Election Day, $2.4 billion will have been spent on presidential campaigns in the two-year election cycle that began in January 2007, and an additional $2.9 billion will have been spent on 435 House and 35 Senate contests. This $5.3 billion is a billion less than Americans will spend this year on potato chips."

source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/29/AR2008102903199.html