How Dole's Infamous "Godless" Ad Got Made

McClatchy:

The famous -- or infamous, depending on your point of view -- "godless" TV commercial in North Carolina's campaign for the U.S. Senate almost didn't happen.

For starters, Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole's campaign didn't think Democratic challenger Kay Hagan would follow through with plans to attend a Boston fundraiser hosted by a couple known for promoting atheist causes. Certainly not after the Dole campaign had sent out a news release attacking Hagan for even scheduling such an event.

Even then, Dole's campaign thought it would run such an ad only as a last resort. And then it would be the mildest version of the ad.

Read the whole story: McClatchy

Comments

[mirza]

Davis is spinning this to the max to hide his blunder

[FairTalk]

Unbelievable hate filled ad showed Dole for what she really is. Does Dole believe that she represents only Christians? Is there no place for Atheists in America?

[mrcontinental]

Heck no! No profit in it.

[mrcontinental]

Guess Bob needs to breakout the Viagara again cause mommas coming home for good.

[Independent voter]

I'm glad that she lost. Enough of this Bush / Rove kraap for America

[thicky]

Senator Elizabeth Dole lost her Senate race?! That's impossible!

I guess it just proves that "there is no God"!

[harriettubman]

Good riddance. Senator Dole only spent, what, 16 days in NC in 2005? Don't the voters there pay attention to what their Senators are doing? She never deserved to be a senator in the first place. What did she ever achieve for the state? She just wanted a title.

[SueEll]

Good. I'm glad she lost. Now she can live with her dirty-attack legacy. Hope that's what Americans will remember her for.

[bbridges1962]

My wife and I live in Greensboro, NC. We voted for Obama and a straight DEM party. I have felt GREAT since Tuesday night when we found out the winners of the votes! We especially wanted to get rid of BUSH, DOLE, and MCCRORY !! WooooooHOO­OOOO....ne­xt we are going to get rid of Richard Burr.

[btanner]

Bye-bye Burrdie! He's gonna wish he hadn't switched parties.

[emanzipiert]

I'm glad she lost. Whatever happened to separating of church and state? I'm also sick and tired of the assumption that atheists have no ethical values.

[bluecatz]

In her acceptance speech which we watched here in NC with great pleasure, the bat actually said she regretted that the campaign made it NECESSARY for her to do it ... (the godless bit) .... as tho' she was forced to do something and had no choice in the matter. She did a McPontiusPilate.
we are SO much better off already ... at least we'll have one involved Senator who isn't a rubberstamp. As for the other, since he endorsed Dole's approach, well ................ we'll see in two years.

[Colmore]

This is like McCain saying he had to "go negative" because Obama would not have all those town hall meetings! Yeah, packed with repubs. and racists. I am glad Obama blew him off on that.

[fireW]

Her formula was simple: Open Rove's septic tank, pull out material, throw it around as a "political" advertisement . . .

[AxelDC]

I used to admire Liddy Dole. Her 1996 RNC speech was brilliant, one of the best pieces of political theatre ever.

In 2000, she ran an anemic Presidential campaign that never got off the ground.

In 2002, she was elected Senator, and is considered one of its least effective members.

In 2006, she headed the Republican Senate Committee, and allowed Democrats to win 6 seats and control of the Majority.

In 2008, she assumed easy re-election, failed to recognize the Hagan challenge. The final straw came when she made religion an issue in the campaign. With this ad, I lost all respect for her. She deserved to lose after this ad.

My only question: Why would Bob Dole let her do something so politically stupid?

[harriettubman]

If you do nothing as a Senator WTH will you do as president?

[Bettysdad]

You have to give Hagan credit for not mentioning that Liddy was with Bob Dole when he was married to someone else.

[Colmore]

From what I have read, Liddy "got around" quite a bit before she married ol' Bob.

[harriettubman]

Hmmmm.. Didn't know that.

[bibimbap]

Is it just me, or does Elizabeth Dole increasingly look like Julia Child? Haha, I guess that's an insult to dear old Julia.

I never could stand Lizzie Dole. She just seems like the worst human being on the planet. Good riddance!

[bbridges1962]

She looks like Ethel Merman to me...

[BBackSoon]

Also a slight to Ethel Merman.

[vippy]

I have to agree, I started to dislike her when I saw how much money she made being the
Red Cross CEO. All that face lifting did not do her any good. Besides she is just too old for the
job.

[WNCmom]

I ljve in Western North Carolina (Asheville). In the past 2 months, my pastor's sermons were about Barack Obama being a Muslim Terrorist and Kaye Hagan being a godless athiest. i questioned him about his sermons and his question to me was do I listen to Rush Limbaugh. If you don't you should.

[damnadamson]

The shift of consciousness is happening around the globe. The fools that want to teach us 'Their Way' are being exposed for what they are ... Morons. Watch the movie 'Idiocracy' for a taste of what the future could hold if we keep on this path.

[WNCmom]

I have left that congregation with comments that were not very well accepted in the least. I was just so tired of hearing this Confederate/ Yankee thinking. We are all American's. Let's get through these tough times together and move on.

[dcjdjay]

Why are you attending this wingnut's services? There are a bazillion Churches in NC for you to choose from.

[btanner]

A person of authority lacking in critical thinking is not a person worth listening to.

[harriettubman]

And the tax exemption for his church should be revoked. I'd report him to the IRS. No pastor should be or has the right to preach politics from the pulpit. That's part of being tax exempt.