In case you missed it, North Carolina newspapers weigh in today that Elizabeth Dole's dishonest and desperate new campaign ad crosses the line.

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: "This is indecent. It is the modern-day version of the "white hands" ad, a lie born of Dole's desperation in a race in which she has trailed for weeks. It is also a deliberate attempt by Dole's campaign not just to distort the truth, but to shatter Hagan's admirable record as an elder for more than a decade in Greensboro's First Presbyterian Church, as a Sunday School teacher and a volunteer in her church's fundraising campaigns, worship services and community service programs. It has no place in N.C. politics. Unless she admits this egregious, shameful mistake and acts appropriately, Elizabeth Dole has no place in N.C. politics, either."

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES: "The ad is not only a gross misrepresentation of the circumstances surrounding the fundraiser, the implication that Kay Hagan believes "there is no God" flies in the face of her long and close involvement with First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, where she is an elder and has taught Sunday School."

GREENSBORO NEWS-RECORD: "If Elizabeth Dole is still the gracious person North Carolinians have admired for many years, she'll pull her new attack ad off the air. It's worse than dishonest in its depiction of rival Kay Hagan as a "Godless American." Even in a campaign long ago driven down in tone by Democrats and Republicans, this is a low blow. Making false insinuations about a candidate's religious beliefs is beyond the bounds of acceptable political disagreement."

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: Dole's desperate turn to Big Lie advertising

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/story/287109.html

Posted: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008

North Carolina knows from sad experience about negative election campaigns and misleading, untruthful advertising. In the 1950 campaign, opponents of the late UNC President Frank Porter Graham used a doctored photo of his wife with a black man to inject race into a Senate campaign and help defeat the revered educator. In 1990, Sen. Jesse Helms used the infamous "white hands" ad, blaming the failure of a white person to get a job on a minority and "a racial quota" to help defeat former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt.

When Helms retired in 2002 and Salisbury native Elizabeth Dole was elected to take his place, voters here breathed a sigh of relief. Surely Dole would not stoop to the racial appeals that marked too many N.C. elections and soured so many people on politics. It just wasn't her way. While she might be every bit as conservative as Helms, her style was not divisive. She did not demonize her opponents.

Until now. In a new TV ad that must have the late Sen. Helms smiling and cheering from the great beyond, the Dole campaign has attacked her opponent, Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro, as "godless." Hagan attended a September fundraiser in Boston sponsored by dozens of people and co-hosted by two persons associated with a group called Godless Americans PAC. Dole's ad says Hagan took "godless" money. Hagan's campaign says she did not receive money from the PAC, though she did get money from one of the co-hosts. She has demanded Dole halt the ad.

Hagan's attendance at any fundraiser and acceptance of a contribution is a fair topic for comment. Yet Dole has resorted to the Big Lie technique, morphing a kernel of truth into a monumental fiction.

How so? The Dole campaign stepped across a broad line, portraying Hagan as not Christian and suggesting she does not believe in God. The Dole ad shows a picture of Hagan while a woman's voice, not Hagan's, intones, "There is no God."

This is indecent. It is the modern-day version of the "white hands" ad, a lie born of Dole's desperation in a race in which she has trailed for weeks. It is also a deliberate attempt by Dole's campaign not just to distort the truth, but to shatter Hagan's admirable record as an elder for more than a decade in Greensboro's First Presbyterian Church, as a Sunday School teacher and a volunteer in her church's fundraising campaigns, worship services and community service programs.

Political campaigns in this state are often hard-fought, with bitter, overwrought accusations that stretch the truth, embellish the facts and attempt to confuse voters. Hagan has hit Dole hard. Dole has hit Hagan hard. That is par for the course.

This ad is something else, an attack on a Christian woman's faith against all evidence to the contrary. It is wrong. It may well backfire on Dole.

It has no place in N.C. politics. Unless she admits this egregious, shameful mistake and acts appropriately, Elizabeth Dole has no place in N.C. politics, either.

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES: As election near, negative ads a distraction

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...

Posted: Thursday, October 30, 2008

In the final days before the election, it comes as no surprise that campaign ads are turning more negative, but voters should ignore the noise and stay focused on the issues that matter.

The degree to which a campaign resorts to mud-slinging is a pretty good indication about how desperate it is.

One of the more egregious examples of negative campaigning began running Tuesday in North Carolina.

It's an ad put up by the Elizabeth Dole campaign, approved by Dole, that says a leader of the Godless Americans PAC recently held a "secret" fundraiser in Kay Hagan's honor.

At the end of the ad, the narrator asks "What did Hagan promise in return?" In response, as a photo of Hagan is shown, a different woman's voice says, "There is no God."

Gross misrepresentation

The ad is not only a gross misrepresentation of the circumstances surrounding the fundraiser, the implication that Kay Hagan believes "there is no God" flies in the face of her long and close involvement with First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, where she is an elder and has taught Sunday School.

Hagan held a press conference Wednesday in front of her church with her pastor and family to express her outrage about the ad. Her attorney has sent a letter demanding that the Dole campaign stop running the ad and threatening legal action for libel.

According to Hagan's campaign, the fundraiser in question was sponsored by 40 people including Sen. John Kerry and held at the home of Woody Kaplan in Boston. Kaplan is a long-time contributor to Democratic candidates and is a member of the Godless Americans PAC, which Hagan didn't know at the time the fundraiser was held.

Hagan wondered aloud on Wednesday whether Dole vets her supporters for their religious beliefs before accepting their help.

Rule of thumb

The rule of thumb for professional campaign consultants is to never use negative campaign tactics unless you have to, according to an article posted on the Web site ThisNation.com. ThisNation.com is a repository of information, resources and historical documents related to American government and politics researched and written by Jonathan Mott, director of Brigham Young University's Center for Instructional Design. Incumbents who have a record to run on and who have built a positive image with their constituents have less need to go negative than the challengers who seek to unseat them.

In this case, however, it's the incumbent who has turned negative.

Polls show the race between Hagan and Dole a virtual tie, with Hagan slightly ahead.

The research into negative campaigning reveals no clear answers about whether it works, but there are some indications about what voters think is fair game and what's off limits, according to ThisNation.com.

At least 57 percent of those surveyed in one research project believe negative information is relevant when it relates to an opponent's voting record or to an opponent talking one way and voting another, not paying taxes, accepting campaign contributions from special interests and currently abusing drugs or alcohol.

Dole isn't the only one going negative, of course.

An analysis by the University of Wisconsin Advertising Project shows that the presidential candidates have used about the same number of negative ads, though a higher percentage of the McCain ads are negative, because the Obama campaign has more money so has aired roughly twice as many ads.

Campaigns use negative ads because they think they work, and there's no question that they can sway voters. That's why it is so critical to be a discriminating consumer of campaign advertising, whether it is aired on television or arrives in the mail box.

Here's a good rule of thumb, if a candidate isn't promoting his or her own record or talking about the issues, be skeptical. Be very, very skeptical.

This is one of the most important elections in a generation. Voters need to stay focused on candidates' positions on the issues that matter - chief among them the economy, health care, education, our military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Everything else is a distraction and candidates who don't get that deserve to pay the price at the polls.

GREENSBORO NEWS-RECORD: Dole's attack on Hagan's faith drives heated campaign lower

http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/10/29/article...

Posted: Thursday, October 30, 2008

If Elizabeth Dole is still the gracious person North Carolinians have admired for many years, she'll pull her new attack ad off the air. It's worse than dishonest in its depiction of rival Kay Hagan as a "Godless American."

Hagan raised a strong defense Wednesday, addressing the media in front of Greensboro's First Presbyterian Church, where she's been an active member and elder. Talking about her Christian faith and works, backed by family, friends and former minister Joe Mullin, she revealed a side of herself most voters haven't seen.

Dole's ad forced the political debate into the realm of religious beliefs. It exploits what now looks like a campaign misstep by Hagan -- attending a Boston fundraiser at the home of atheist activist Woody Kaplan, a founder of Godless Americans.

The event did not promote the agenda of that organization, which Hagan says she opposes. The gathering was sponsored by a Democratic group, not Godless Americans.

From that one association, the Dole ad links Hagan to unpopular views. With Hagan's picture on screen, a female voice avows, "There is no God" -- a deceptive attempt to put an atheist's words into a Presbyterian's mouth, with the goal of helping Dole's election chances.

Even in a campaign long ago driven down in tone by Democrats and Republicans, this is a low blow. Making false insinuations about a candidate's religious beliefs is beyond the bounds of acceptable political disagreement.

Hagan said Wednesday she thought about calling Dole and asking her to pull the ads. She should have. Instead, her campaign will respond with ads of its own refuting the allegations. Politically, it probably has no choice. But it would be nice to think that, if the two spoke directly and honestly, Dole might realize she was wrong, and both candidates could finish this very competitive campaign on a higher plane.