Anybody who believes in even the loosest interpretations of the separation of church and state will be quite disillusioned by an ad being run in what has becoming a surprising swing state this year. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), wife of former presidential candidate Bob Dole, ran an ad against her opponent, Democrat Kay Hagen, alleging Hagen associated with an atheist group and that she herself doesn’t believe in God. [Here’s the ad. ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lf2vDk-4Ag) The most hmm… 18th century aspect of the ad was the part in which the announcer says Kagen “took Godless money.” The irony is that places like North Carolina and Virginia were founded as the rather “Godless” alternatives to the Puritan bastions in New England. Imagine what an ad like this would be received in Massachusetts today. [ Kagen has responded with an ad of her own](http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/senate-candidate-files-lawsuit-over-godless-ad/). Although she definitely is responding the right way politically, considering the strong suspicion of atheists across the South, it’s a sad reflection of American politics that she has to take lengths to assure people of her faith, instead of merely pointing out what a horrible, disgusting, evil, conniving politician Dole really is. I just hope that if Kagen wins she doesn’t have to applaud her opponent for running “an honorable campaign” at her victory rally.