We did not accept the political ad - or receive money for it - that ran Tuesday. Credit: DonkeyHotey/Flickr
UPDATE: Phil at Feedblitz got back to me with a brief response. The news is not good. Feedblitz ads are outsourced.
PREVIOUSLY: Reader Jennifer emailed me Tuesday making a case for why I should not have accepted a political ad for Rick Santorum that ran in Tuesday’s email (not on the blog):
I know that you need to accept ads in order to make a living from your newsletter, but I think you might want to rethink accepting political ads. Most of the ads on your site and news letter are for services that save people money so there is an implication that you endorse these advertisers and they endorse you. Rick Santorum is a very polarizing figure, while some of your readers may love him many people rather viscerally hate him. I am guessing that your readership is predominately female. Given how strongly many women feel about Santorum’s attacks on
women’s access to effective birth control and pre-natal care I would not be surprised if you lost readers over today’s ad encouraging your readers to donate to Santorum’s campaign. People really dislike political ads. I know quite a few who refuse to watch network TV or listen to radio stations aimed at adults for months before elections in order to avoid the political ads. I’m sure it’s tougher finding advertisers who want to pay to advertise on a newsletter that encourages people to save money and spend what they must wisely than it would be if you were writing about crafting but I question whether accepting political advertising is a good long term strategy.
Jennifer
Here is my response:
I’m so glad you emailed me. And I agree completely. The political ad you saw for Rick Santorum was accepted by Feedblitz, the email software we use to send the daily email, not me. I repeat, I did not accept or receive any money for this ad.
The Feedblitz software is free, but the “cost” is that Feedblitz puts its own ads in the newsletter. Until now, it’s never been a problem.
I’ve emailed the owner of Feedblitz to complain and will let you know his response. In the meantime, I’m going to blog about this because I want to let all my readers know how this ad came about.
Julia
I hope this clears things up!
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
I love it – goooooo, ladies!! 🙂
Julia
Glad you are on it. I don’t subscripe to your email but do read your blog every day. Political ads just don’t belong, especially ones (but don’t they all) that can divide your readers.
Hate, love or non-committed to any politican, I think that any candidate that’s fundamental belief that gives women less rights than men does not belong in your forum. As Jennifer said I believe most of your readers are women. And as women we need to defend any of our hard earned rights and not let religion or politics take ANY of them away. Once one is taken away we are no longer equal citizens we once again become men’s property.
Didn’t even see the ad …Jennifer needs to get a life – or a job.
Knowing what an independent thinker you are, I don’t believe you’d knowingly run a political ad for any part of the spectrum, least of all for a candidate who tramples on women’s rights and the fight for equality. I, too, would like to know what the response is from Feedblitz.
Who cares. If you didn’t like it, don’t click on it. It is not your website. Get a life. This is coming from a women, mother and subscriber that doesn’t have anything against Rick Santorum. Not every women hates him. Everyone has the right to their position on issues. Only insecure, over bearing people have to hate someone for having different beliefs than they do.
To me, it actually sounds like Jennifer is making her own political statement, which as a woman, I find offensive. I happen to think that Rick Santorum is pro family. I would think that a site like BB would have a more pro family bent of its own and not sound so out of touch with what is important to us.
Rick Santorum is pro family, alright – pro MIDDLE AGES family. Next he’ll be advocating the return to leeches.