While the nation was watching the special election in Pennsylvania last night — and with good reason, since it involved a U.S. House seat — there was another special election yesterday in Tennessee to replace a state senator.
As we’ve mentioned a few times on this site, Democrat Gayle Jordan chose to run because she didn’t want to see a Republican skate to victory unopposed, even in her overwhelmingly red district. She wanted to give progressives an option. So what if she was openly atheist? So what if she’s the director of a group called Recovering From Religion? It’s not like a Jesus-loving Democrat had much of a chance, either. So she ran.
Instead of just ignoring her, the Tennessee Republican Party waged a smear campaign against her, drawing attention to her non-religious beliefs. They called her a “radical atheist.” The Lt. Governor called her “dangerous.” They sent out flyers calling her “kooky.” They took a joke she made on Facebook out of context and used it to suggest she was a traitor. In that particular case, they even used a picture of Jordan with a gay couple, triggering the PTSD of one of those men who happened to serve in the military. (The couple is now suing the state GOP.)
It was a lot of activity for a race that a Republican could have won by doing absolutely nothing.
That election took place yesterday… and, to no one’s surprise, Jordan lost.
Read the full story at the Friendly Atheist Blog
