Huckabee Campaign Ad Has Unusual Christian Explicitness

This campaign ad from Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has attracted a good deal of attention. In it, Huckabee says: "Are you about worn out by all the television commercials you've been seeing, mostly about politics? Well, I don't blame you. At this time of year sometimes it's nice to pull aside from all of that and just remember that what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ and being with our family and friends."

An AP analysis of the ad-- which is airing in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina-- says that it "is unusual for a presidential candidate in that it is a religious message that excludes all religions except for the predominant Christian faith." Yesterday's Boston Globe says that the ad "is drawing cheers from Christian bloggers, consternation from advocates of church-state separation, and a fair amount of fascination from all sides." Some suggest that the bookshelf in the background was intended to represent a cross. Huckabee yesterday in Houston said that the nation is in serious trouble if reminding voters about the religious meaning of Christmas is politically incorrect. (Houston Chronicle).

Meanwhile, AFP today reports on the reactions of non-believers to the increasingly religious tone of political campaigns.