Ask a conservative how they'll react when Apple or Google spend $1 billion to defeat a Republican...

[scheming daemons]

Might change their tune a little bit.

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. I'll bet you a million bucks they won't do that

Call it a hunch.

[scheming daemons]

2. Google's executives are relatively progressive by corporate standards

I could see it happening.

[Duende azul]

8. So I raise you one Bill Gates.

Could we please stop relying on hopes that some wealthy wellintended capitalist will save the day?

Even if he or she may exist, if he or she wants to stay wealthy and influential, there are rules to be obeyed by competition. If you invest in politicians that don't serve capital's interests, you'll go out of business.
Your competitors who make better investment decisions on the PSE (Politician Stock Exchange)will prosper instead.

This whole thing is like not wanting to abolish absolutism because you're ruled by a relatively benevolent monarch.

[burning rain]

3. Undue political influence for Apple & Google is the least of conservatives', or our, worries.

How about being ruled by the People's Republic of China and the Persian Gulf states?

[aquart]

4. So a corporation is a person who doesn't have to be a citizen?

Genius ruling. How long have the Filthy Five been planning this?

[TheKentuckian]

5. I don't see how it matters much who is bought, the problem is the buying

A collar is collar.

[depakid]

9. It also sheds further doubt on the legitimacy of government(s)

Not only in terms of elections- but in the passage of legislation.

[TheWebHead]

6. would not happen

they'd be sued by shareholders for one thing, they'd miss earnings estimates for another, not to mention it would be massively self-defeating. One sells its search engine to the masses, another smart phones, ipods and computers, so the idea that they'd spend huge amounts of money to inflame a vast swath of the country to get a possible extra vote on who knows what issue makes no sense. Corporations are all about public relations for the most part, and those that don't deal directly to the consumer (ie energy) already funnel huge dollars into PACs and PR advertisement.

[Duende azul]

7. Unfortunately, capital has no progressive bias.

[BR_Parkway]

10. Soros, Moore, ACORN - there's a ton of people & groups out there

that they hate (literally hate, gut response from all the hate radio brainwashing) that would bother them

Hell, the Taliban can form a corporation or Al Queida and fund candidates if they want