Can an atheist win public office in Tennessee? We'll find out Tuesday.

[trotsky]

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2018/03/08/can-atheist-win-public-office-tennessee-well-find-out-tuesday/387468002/

Gayle Jordan, a Democrat running for state senate in Trump country, will soon find out if an openly atheist candidate can win public office in Tennessee.

Jordan does not believe in God. It is a fact she shares, but not a focus of her campaign for the vacant District 14 seat that will be decided Tuesday in a special election.

"It's incidental to who I am," Jordan said.

But Shane Reeves, her Republican opponent, and state GOP leaders have made her lack of religious belief an issue in the Middle Tennessee race, which could have greater implications for how the November midterm elections unfold.

[Mariana]

1. Look at the hateful language the Christians are using to describe her.

There have been "few candidates as dangerous" as Ms. Jordan Her views are "extreme" and "radical". She's mounting an "assault on faith". It's "unbelievable" that an atheist is running for office. The voters need to "strongly reject" her.

Her opponent apparently has requested clergy in the district to make sure the members of their flocks know that she is an atheist, and to promote him as the Christian candidate in the race.

[MineralMan]

2. Yes, look at that. Typical, I think, of what atheists running for office

will face in many part of this country. Shameful. In Tennessee, it could be the factor that decides this race.

[trotsky]

4. I know there are some who will say that well, the law is clear...

it's perfectly legal for her to run as an atheist, so what's the problem?

Usually that response is followed by about 20 somewhat-related Google links in order to try and obscure the fact that religious bigotry is the problem.

[MineralMan]

5. And yet, Judge Roy Moore almost won his election.

He lost, yes, but not by as much as he should have. Plus we have a serial sexual abuser sitting in the White House. I guess sexual misconduct isn't as bad as not believing in supernatural entities. Very odd, I think, but unsurprising.

[trotsky]

3. Yeah but far worse is when atheists on an Internet message board don't respect religious beliefs.

At least that's what I've been told.

[struggle4progress]

7. It seems to be a solidly Republican district. McCain won it by 25 points, Bush II by 20 points.

Trump's margin was similar. The special election is to fill Tracy's seat, which he left to serve the Cult of Orange Man in DC. And when she ran against Tracy, she lost 3-to-1

So it's a steep climb

For a candidate to win under such circumstances, the candidate needs a laser-like focus on issues important to folk in the district -- with no distractions. People don't follow this stuff closely, and the best soundbites can easily be pushed away by some pointless noisy controversy

It shouldn't be that way, but it IS that way -- and any noise about her atheism limits her ability to get any other message across