I was inspired to begin blogging on atheism in American politics when Kay Hagan, running for Senate against Elizabeth Dole in 2008, enabled the infamous “godless” attacks leveled against her by the Dole campaign by essentially conceding the foundational argument of Dole’s attack: that anyone who even associates with atheists is not qualified for public office. I was so disappointed in Hagan’s response, concentrating on “attacks on her Christian faith” rather than defending the integrity and honor of those atheist Americans who had supported her, and then later giving our community an outright disavowal, telling one reporter, “… I certainly don’t support anything they stand for.” Thanks, Kay.
Well, now, two years later, she’s gone and broken Kos’s heart too, by voting against the DREAM Act:
North Carolina’s rapidly growing Latino population will be a big factor in the state’s expected gain of an extra House seat during reapportionment. They, along with a growing Asian community, could potentially be a key component of her reelection coalition.
Instead, she just took a baseball bat to their kids, opting to be an asshole rather than do the right thing.
The DREAM Act vote may have failed, but it was very helpful — now we know who the true assholes are in the Democratic Party — and it’s too bad to see Hagan among them.
I’m with Kos; Hagan is exemplifying all that is so dispiriting and enraging about Democrats, always willing to spit on the groups who they presume they can always rely on. Were seculars going to vote for Dole in ‘08? Of course not. Will Latinos vote for whichever lunatic right-winger the GOP nominates in 2014? Probably not. Or at least that’s what she supposes, and she may be right.
And it’s so easy to kick a maligned minority for the amusement of the Real America. Religious conservatives in North Carolina are either outright loathing of — or at least feel uneasy about — atheists, so throw them under the bus, no one will care. And we all know how white conservatives feel about Latinos, especially those illegal ones. Even their innocent kids are fair game for screwing over to appease the raging imbeciles of the right.
After the “godless” episode, a few folks high up in the political secularist world tried to assuage my fears about Hagan, to trust that she was on our side. Seems pretty clear to me now, as it did then, that the only side she’s on is her own.
pav alexander 