Because of the Citizens United decision, spending on the 2012 election by fossil-fuel and anti-environmental-regulation groups was enormous. The actual results of the election seem to suggest that these business lobbies made some disastrously bad investments. The common media narrative that big money makes big business omnipotent (or omniscient) may be due for fact-checking.

"California Proposition 39 results: 60 percent of voters approve measure to close tax loophole and fund clean energy and energy efficiency projects in public buildings. For a tax measure, California Proposition 39 had surprisingly little organized opposition."

"LONGMONT, Colo. — Longmont's city charter will now ban fracking."

"Almost as soon as the networks had declared victory for President Obama last night, environmental activists announced plans for a White House protest over the fate of a controversial oil pipeline."

"Measures in Richmond and El Monte, California that would have taxed sugar-sweetened beverages at a penny-per-ounce rate failed to pass in either city [Tuesday]."

"President Obama’s reelection, along with key wins by Senate Democrats, ensures that the federal government will press ahead with efforts to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency and to curb greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change."

"Voters in the city of Wichita rejected fluoridated water on Tuesday, as they did in 1964 and 1978."

President Obama actually mentioned climate change in his victory speech last night.

In addition to defeats of California's GMO-Labelling and Michigan's clean energy measures, voters approved rebuilding a Seattle seawall and a Colorado city's fracking ban and defeated a measure to remove California's Hetch Hetchy dam.