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'Godless,' Divisive Elections
Even the church ladies have gotten dirty in this election-year episode of Survivor: America -- the meanest and most divisive campaign season I can remember. Candidates like Elizabeth Dole (R-Methodist) and Kay Hagan (D-Presbyterian) in North Carolina's Senate race haven't just criticized each other's ideas and policy plans and fitness for office. They've tried to vilify and demonize each other.
Last week, Dole's re-election campaign ran a 30-second TV ad that accused Democratic challenger Hagan of taking "godless money" from a leader of a Godless Americans Political Action Committee. "Godless Americans and Kay Hagan," the ad's voiceover says. "She hid from cameras. Took godless money. What did Kay Hagan promise in return?" The ad ends with an unknown woman's voice calling out, "There is no God."
Thursday, Hagan sued Dole for defamation and libel. She also countered with her own TV ad accusing Dole of breaking the 9th Commandment by bearing false witness. "Elizabeth Dole's attacks on my Christian faith are offensive," Hagan says in the ad. "She even faked my voice in her TV ad to make you think I don't believe in God. Well, I believe in God. I taught Sunday School. My faith guides my life, and Sen. Dole knows it."
North Carolina and the rest of the country already was deeply divided when the campaign began. It will be even more divided on Nov. 5, no matter who wins. What then? How do the winning and losing candidates start the healing process? How about this?
OK. That's a longshot. What else can be done to heal the wounds caused by this election?
Robert Rees, a former Mormon bishop in California, summed up America's post-election challenge perfectly. Reese has been watching one of this election year's most divisive campaigns -- the battle over Proposition 8.... Reese told the Salt Lake Tribune that he has never seen a political issue create so much divisiveness in his own Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"It will take considerable humility, charity and forgiveness," he said, "to heal the wounds caused by this initiative."
And this election.
Humility, charity and forgiveness are not qualities that immediately come to mind when you're talking about politicians. But anything's possible in America.
No matter who wins Tuesday, on Wednesday the president-elect and his challenger should start the reconciliation process by standing together, apologizing to each other and to us for their lack of humility and charity during the campaign, and promising to work together to solve the massive and ungodly problems we all face.
David Waters
| October 31, 2008; 3:20 PM ET | Category: Under God Save & Share:
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Posted by: Paganplace | November 3, 2008 4:01 PM
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"Even the church ladies have gotten dirty "
Even?
Come on, they've *always* had quite an imagination. :)
(please pardon if this repeats. I think a link may be broken. )
Posted by: Paganplace | November 3, 2008 4:03 PM
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Hopefully the leaders of those churches that have been spewing messages filled with hate and fear will finally learn a little humility when their parishioners witness Obama leading this country with true Christian charity and compassion in contradiction to their pastors' frightening and hate-filled prophesies of evil and doom.
Hope. Courage. Compassion.
VOTE for THE CHANGE WE NEED: Obama '08
Posted by: ford9504 | November 3, 2008 5:48 PM
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My sincere hope is that both sides can stop arguing, agree to disagree, and work for the good of our country - no matter who wins.
Then again, I believe in fairies, too...
Posted by: Athena4 | November 3, 2008 7:25 PM
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I had a Pastor who once preached a different twist to the story of Adam and Eve and the Forbidden Friut. He suggested that the story was less about disobedience of the rule, "Don't eat that friut", then the Sin of trying to take away from God His exclusive "Knowledge of Good and Evil". My Pastor suggested that the "Original Sin" is not an innate leaning towards disobedience, but instead is mankind's innate desire to be God in the judgement of what is right and what is wrong. He suggested that the greatest Sin may well be "moralism". The evidence is simply history's examples of differing moral codes clashing, causing all kinds of misery, wars, hatred, terrorism, etc. So I have seen in this election the Republican side typically viewing the Democrats thru a "moral lens", thus casting the people as "evil". This even has become McCain's stategy against Obama, which I think is really beyond McCain's personal leaning, which I think is much more charitable. It seems a shame that McCain knuckled under to the typical "conservative demonism". His funny stuff on SNL to me shows McCain's true colors, of a man who ultimately does not take himself too seriously. Too bad he did not carry this thru on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, I have seen Obama attacking only McCain and Republican policies and ideas, but not specifically the people. So, I think McCain has much more to apologize for, and he just may come thru with that apology. Then I'll regain my admiration for him.
Posted by: schaeffz | November 4, 2008 9:12 AM
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No, "they" haven't vilified and demonized, Dole has. Hagan merely defended herself and correctly pointed out that Dole is a hypocrite.
Posted by: Grandblvd03 | November 4, 2008 12:28 PM
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"Humility is the want of nothing..."
Posted by: truthhurts | November 4, 2008 1:25 PM
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In a way, what McCain was doing was following the Rovian marketing method. that's really what it is- to sell an idea, no matter how bad, market the hell out of it. And Americans fell for it for 8 years.
the sad thing is that there are good people on both sides and we need all of them. How anyone can fix this, I don't know. But the first step is to admit we have a big problem of divisiveness in this country and we need to reaffirm the principles it was founded upon. The Constitution and the Bill of rights. Separation of church and state. those who can't or won't agree will never change, but those who truly love our country will work to make her stronger and better.
Posted by: sparrow4 | November 4, 2008 6:33 PM
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If we get four more years without health care, with more layoffs, with more bloodshed in Iraq--in short if we have another disastrous Republican administration, we'll all know where to look--right at the Vatican and all the Catholodroids of America, along with the right-wing Protestants, their partners in crime.
Posted by: observer12 | November 4, 2008 8:07 PM
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Dole's ad was shocking. Hagan's response was simply to defend herself. While I'd previously never had much of an opinion about Dole, I do now. Much like McCain caving in to hard-nosed campaigners and their wishes to attack Obama's character, it appears Dole has done the same. Even worse, she used belief in God as a wedge, which I think is particularly shameless. I hope Hagan wins. We don't need more politicians like Dole, regardless of their party affiliations. The past eight years under Bush have been divisive and destructive to the fabric of a civil society. Like the cover of The Economist this week claimed (with a photo of Obama): "It's Time."
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=12511171
Posted by: SHeriger | November 4, 2008 9:14 PM
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Kay Hagen defeated Elizabeth Dole.
Epic backfire. :D
Posted by: Athena4 | November 5, 2008 1:01 AM
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Dole and her neochristians reaped what they sewed.
Posted by: coloradodog | November 5, 2008 8:05 AM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
"Even the church ladies have gotten dirty "
Even?
Come on, they've *always* had quite an imagination. :)