“The Framers of the First Amendment were not concerned with preventing government from abridging their freedom to speak about crops and cockfighting, or with protecting the expressive activity of topless dancers, which of late has found some shelter under the First Amendment. Rather, the Framers cherished unabridged freedom of political communication.”

How true. Will mentions three trival matters that are distractions.

A right to free speech is the un-infringed expression(s) about crops, cockfighting, topless dancing activities, political communications, etc.

it always cracks me up, when some whiz-kid deigns to define what 1st/Free Speech supposedly means, and what it supposedly does not

OF COURSE the Founders wanted free expression; dancing/bloodsport being common topics throughout the ages, naturally Our Founders would want them and their discussion protected, I thought that was a given??

Will does not even mention any essence of journalism, which is the Liberty to publish independent Truth toxic to TPTB.

Liberty Quotes goes bi-polar,
this quote is pretty weak and useless.

I guess the point he was trying to make is that political discourse was the primary 'right' to protect, as it had always been subject to regulation from authoritarian governments (i.e. England, Europe, Asia, etc.). With campaign finance laws, the intent is to regulate political speech -- it has nothing to do with money, as even Hillary outspent 2 to 1 and couldn't change voters' minds. They just don't want competitors who can't raise as much money but are better representatives of the people at large.

Frankly, I don't believe anything coming from the press or government -- I only try to figure out what the purpose is for the piece of propaganda they are selling -- like the Russia narrative that seemed out of place when it first came up, then we see the plan unfold... The thing is that these people actually believe whatever they broadcast is gospel and that we are all automatically believers (like them). Luckily, despite the non-stop media narrative, there are still plenty of people who DON'T believe it (which isn't hard). Delusion is their game, and self-delusion is a prerequisite.