Mr. post-partisan has become a star of ads by Republicans and their allies nationwide, CNN reports. It’s curious that the two developments that catapulted him into that dubious stardom involved religion: Obama’s remarks about small town Americans clinging to guns and God and the Wright affair. Obama was supposed to the candidate whose background in the church and own experience coming to Christianity was supposed to make him more sensitive to the concerns of religious voters and bring many of them back to the Democratic party.
It doesn’t appear to be playing out that way yet:

A review of political television advertising nationwide shows that Obama has played a starring role or has been mentioned in at least 9 GOP-inspired ads designed to undercut a Democratic candidate in recent months….
“We’re starting to see Barack Obama come into play in mostly conservative districts,” said Evan Tracey, chief operating officer of TNSMI/CMAG, CNN’s consultant on television advertising.
Obama’s comments about small-town Pennsylvanians being “bitter” people who “cling to guns and religion” over frustration with the economy, and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial remarks, have provided Republicans with material to try to inflict damage in down-ballot races.
“What they do is they draw on the negative character of a candidate, and they attach them to another candidate in the race,” Tracey said. “The question is, is that negative character believable and defendable? That will be the test that these ads will have to stand up to in a few weeks.”

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