While Sen. Obama has boasted an amazing number of donors this election, cycle, the truth is, the number of Americans donating to candidates at the federal level remains relatively unchanged from previous elections. This year, a little over 1 million people have donated over $200 to candidates, parties, or PACs. That's less than one half of one percent of all Americans, or .36%. If money is the currency of our political system, then there are a lot of people being left out of the process.  Sheila Krumholz, the executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, made this statistic a little clearer:"Many new donors have been brought into the fold in 2008, but participation in this element of our democracy isn't representative of the electorate or the nation as a whole," Krumholz said. "The typical campaign contributor showing up in government data is still typically a lawyer, a Wall Street banker, a doctor, a CEO or a college professor at a major university. For all their influence at the polls, guys like Joe the Plumber aren't typically campaign contributors. You're more likely to see John the Bond Trader bankrolling these campaigns."