The American Spectator

My column today on the Rand Paul flap raises questions of whether it is ever appropriate to make an issue out of a candidate’s religious faith. Obviously, the answer is yes in the unlikely event the candidate is advocating sharia or even Christian Reconstructionism. Otherwise, the answer is clearly no. The focus should always be on what someone seeking political office believes the government should and shouldn’t do.

That said, what Jack Conway’s TV ad is really trying to do is establish that Paul is a mocker of Christianity. While reaching back to college is absurd and the evidence doesn’t support Conway’s accusation, I do think having contempt for the religion and values of your would-be constituents is a legitimate issue. So if Conway can find audio of Rand Paul speaking dismissively of Kentuckians clinging to their guns and religion, he is free to use it in his next commercial.