Why does it take so much money to run for president?

It seems to me that all this money has to have an effect on the way people behave and how they vote, the things that are important to them and the things they will fight for.

So far (from CNN)

DEMOCRATS:

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York)Senate: Not available as of Thursday afternoon

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut)Senate:Total Raised: $3,422,982.45Total Contributions: $3,250,481.02Total Spent: $353,031.31Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $4,925,913.07

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)Presidential:Total Raised: $11,088.22Total Contributions: $11,088.22Total Spent: $380.31Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $10,707.91House:Total Raised: $1,948.92Total Contributions: $1,860.00Total Spent: $27,348.27Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $32,255.48

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois)Senate:Total Raised: $105,280.82Total Contributions: $98,157.80Total Spent: $344,424.33Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $516,553.08

Tom Vilsack (D-Iowa)Presidential:Total Raised: $1,165,075.99Total Contributions: $1,133,827.51Contribs. from candidate: $2,100.00Loans from candidate: $31,148.48Total Spent: $769,113.13Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $395,962.86

REPUBLICANS:

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas)Presidential:Filed a note with the FEC saying that they did not spend funds towards a presidential campaign in 2006, and therefore was not required to file a year-end report.Senate:Total Raised: $49,084.63Total Contributions: $46,996.62Total Spent: $608,061.85Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $41,758.84

Rudy Giuliani (R-New York)Presidential:Total Raised: $1,406,563.00Total Contributions: $1,306,563.00Tranfers from other committees: $100,000.00Total Spent: $392,031.38Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $1,014,531.62Senate: Not available as of Thursday afternoon(Giuliani has an active Senate campaign account from his aborted 2000 Senate bid)

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-California)House:Total Raised: $20.03Total Contributions: $0Total Spent: $22,371.68Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $53,379.37

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona)Presidential:Total Raised: $1,711,053.23Total Contributions: $660,385.80Tranfers from other committees: $1,050,001.61Total Spent: $1,238,598.99Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $472,454.24Senate:Total Raised: $33,993.99Total Contributions: $4,144.50Total Spent: $1,128,022.95Transfers to presidential committee: $1,050,000Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $20,033.06

Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts)Senate:(Romney has an active Senate campaign account from his failed 1994 Senate bid)Total Raised: $0Total Contributions: $0Total Spent: $0Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $20,159.89Debts owed (as of 12/31/06): $3,104,000

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado)House:Total Raised: $5570.54Total Contributions: $3,597.07Total Spent: $153,479.07Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $189,092.12

Tommy Thompson (R-Wisconsin)Presidential:Total Raised: $500.00Total Contributions: $500.00Total Spent: $0Cash on hand (as of 12/31/06): $500.00