Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day, October 28th, 2008, an ad begins running in North Carolina as part of the very contentious

Senate race in that state.

This topic was suggested by a listener William from North Carolina, and I'm just going to read from their note because it really sets it up nicely. So William writes us, in an episode a few weeks ago, you mentioned dirty mudslinging elections. I live in North Carolina and boy do we throw mud.

Specifically in 2008 with Kay Hagen versus Elizabeth Dole for Senate.

Late October is when the quote Godless Americans ad first aired across North

Carolina the ad called State Senator Kayegan a godless American and made so many

wild accusations this is a practice many on the religious right like to

pull calling well-involved Christian politicians Godless instead of liberal. They did it

to Hagen and they did it to Carter in 1980. So that's a little bit of Williams note and a little bit of Williams

take there at the end about the larger dynamic. But the facts are, as William laid out, there was

a Senate election incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole runs this very

controversial ad against her opponent state Senator Kayegan. So let's talk

about that ad that race and the charge of godlessness in American politics here to do that as always are

Nicole Hammer of Columbia and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wesley. Hello there

Hello Jody. Hey there. So since we're talking about an ad, we never do this, we play clips, but you know what,

this is about an ad and I think it's worth playing the clip here and so we'll, well, let's take a listen.

There was a longer version of this ad and then there was a

32nd version of this ad. So this is the 32nd version of the Godless Americans ad that

started running in 2008 in North Carolina right around this day.

I'm Elizabeth Dole and I appreciate that. in North Carolina right around this day.

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