Opponents of the bill had assumed it would fail in the Senate and now must work even harder to defeat it as it passes into the House. All three have played significant roles in local elections. Soft money is unregulated funds that unions, corporations and individuals can donate to parties. Intended for party-building and civic education functions, such as voter registration drives, it is now used as a major source of campaign funds, even though the advertising cannot name a candidate. But the efforts still are targeted for or against candidates by clever wording.
Hard money is that which is given directly to candidates.
To the extent that soft money may come from outside a district and have little connection to local issues, it distorts the concept that legislators are supposed to represent local voters. Almost half of Dooley's war chest was in funds he did not raise. The blackout period is designed to curtail late-hit attack ads. This last-minute infusion of advertising against candidates is usually highly critical and badly distorts issues. The attacks come too late in a campaign for a candidate to mount an effective response.