And Now, A Word About Our Sponsors
I don't support Hillary Clinton. I wouldn't allow my son to have a high-powered laser pointer when he wanted one as a teenager. There's nothing I like better than a good steak for dinner.
If people thought that my advertisers represented my beliefs, they would be surprised by the above statements. In fact, I continue to get e-mail about the sponsors who choose to support CQ through advertising on this site. Yesterday, I received a very nice and polite note from a beef producer in the Midwest objecting to the PETA ad on my Blogad strip -- the one with the picture of the rare steak on a plate. (I prefer mine medium rare, actually.)
Earlier this year, the topic of advertising arose when Hillary bought blogads on a number of conservative blogs, including mine, to advertise webcasted "conversations" that launched her campaign. As I explained then, the purchase of advertising on this site does not constitute an endorsement by CQ. In fact, the opposite is true; by putting money in my pocket, these advertisers are endorsing CQ.
My general policy has been to allow pretty much any legitimate advertising to appear on CQ. I've tried hard not to discriminate. As long as the advertisement does not feature nudity or use foul language, and as long as it doesn't support violence against the US government or patently illegal or obviously immoral purposes, then I don't see a need to reject it. After all, CQ readers are adults, and do not have to click through on ads that oppose their sensibilities. Undeniably, I have a profit motive for this position, but then again, I'm a free-market kind of guy -- and this blog has been rather clear about that, too.
Mu aunt and cousins read this blog, and they run a cattle ranch in California, a beautiful spot of land I have visited far too infrequently over the years. While they may also object to the PETA ad, I suspect they find it amusing that I manage to buy myself a good steak dinner on its revenue. I don't write my copy or adjust my thinking to suit the advertisers, and in the end, I'd rather have them spending their money to support my speech than that of others.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on February 23, 2007 5:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
