In support of Godless Americans.

Does early voting make it easier for candidates to use cheap, deplorable tactics in the closing days of a campaign?

I've no idea how to answer that question, but it occurred to me as I wondered just what Elizabeth Dole thinks she's doing with her now notorious “Godless American” ads against Kay Hagan in their race for the U.S. Senate. Maybe she ran the numbers and thought it would help, or something. If so, that's a shameful comment on my home state.

Sure, there's an legitimate voting issue buried in all of this—“Kay Hagan will vote for wall-0f-separation judges”—but these ads don't get it across. And they back up one of my least favorite aspects of the what I would call the mainstream philosophy of the Republican Party: the idea that atheists aren't “real Americans.” (See also Mitt Romney's otherwise inspiring speech on religion.)

To be straightforward: I'm a Christian, and I believe that religion has a place in public life. But this notion that theism is a prerequisite for responsible citizenship needs to go. Atheists register for the draft (the fellows, at least), serve in our wars, vote, and contribute to the nation. To be associated with atheists is not a scary thing, and I hope North Carolina's voters make it clear to Dole that these tactics aren't acceptable, by sternly worded letter or angry phone call if not by vote.

Side note: I would rather drop the Pledge of Allegiance entirely than remove just the phrase “under God.” Christians are barred from pledging their highest allegiance to a nation; they already owe it to the Church Universal. And given the tradition of rights in the USA, any pledge of loyalty to the nation needs a freedom of conscience proviso. So let's just drop the thing altogether.