Is there any case where this is remotely even true?! The way advertising budget is spent always has an enormous impact on the outcome.
One competitor spends in print, another on TV. One competitor targets young professionals, another families with kids. One competitor goes to best and most famous agency but buys the cheapest package and fights any decision, another gets a genius kid at the beginning of his career to create a most brilliant TikTok ad. Etc...
> I suggest you look at how advertising works
A valuable advice, try following it sometimes.
Political contexts are obviously different because it’s constantly one off contests and the teams behind it constantly change. So yes, obviously efficacy of advertising matters. But I don’t see how my simplification meaningfully changes the point that money significantly impacts voting at scale in our society. This wasn’t the gotcha I think you thought it was.
Have you or anyone you know been paid for your vote? If the answer is no, then your vote was not bought.
Saying that election advertising "buys" an election is a misuse of the word.
"Harris outspent Trump 3:1. Hillary outspent Trump 2:1. It's not that easy to buy an election."