The single largest donors and the ones with the most obvious special interests are the unions. They control the labor party directly to facilitate their criminal activities and extortion.

While one might agree with most of this and indeed, the high court's determination. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for either side of politic to embrace real reform in this area?

And as a consequence, we're likely to have the very best democracy money can buy along with the most moral politicians/incorruptible paragons of virtue? EverReady to put the interests of the nation ahead of any and all personal considerations, partisan politics, or the party?

Walkies Betsy? God dog. Now where did I leave that white cane? What was that? Those hearing aids cost thousands and yet I can't hear a blessed thing! Wadda ya mean? Mumble, mumble rhubarb? No need to shout! I'm not completely deaf!
Alan B.

NOT DONATIONS - BRIBES!

Thank you Max for your clear exposition of this complicated area.

I note your conclusion that the implied freedom of political communication has been in effect re-stated along with the implication that: "...all citizens must be treated as having equal worth...".

Hence your suggestion that this opens the way for potential reform on the vexed question of "political donations" should politicians be willing to do so. However, like many others, I won't be holding my breath. In the overall context however, I think you are correct to point out the need to avoid the situation in the US where unlimited amounts can be given to individual candidates.

As an example of this, consider the following quote from the New York Times in January 2015: "The political network overseen by the conservative billionaires Charles G. and David H. Koch plans to spend close to $900 million on the 2016 campaign, an unparalleled effort by coordinated outside groups to shape a presidential election that is already on track to be the most expensive in history." See the link below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/us/politics/kochs-plan-to-spend-900-million-on-2016-campaign.html?_r=1

An interesting corollary to this is that the advent of Donald Trump has apparently led the Koch brothers to begin "...reevaluating their approach to politics." See link below.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/435418/koch-brothers-campaign-activity-slows

And see also:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/05/the_koch_brothers_were_supposed_to_buy_the_2016_election_what_happened.html