It's a nice thought, but Google could be seen as making campaign donations in kind by doing so -- given that there's a monetary value associated with such media

It's a nice thought, but Google could be seen as making campaign donations in kind by doing so -- given that there's a monetary value associated with such media placements. Unless I'm mistaken, that's still illegal under current campaign financing laws. That said, if Citizens United is any indication, Google could simply donate the money to buy the placements to a Super PAC, which could then buy the placements for each candidate back from Google. Sort of a silly workaround, but hey, it might be a fun way to subvert the outcome of Citizens United.