Does Jack Conway’s Rand Paul Ad Go Too Far?

Kentucky Senate candidate and state Attorney General Jack Conway has released a new ad, below, designed to question the character of his opponent, ophthalmologist and Tea Party darling Rand Paul. But so far the media firestorm it has created is shining a harsher light on the character of Conway himself. The ad focuses on incidents that occurred during Paul's college years, and it charges that the GOP candidate--the son of Republican Rep. Ron Paul--was once a member of a secret society that called the Holy Bible a "hoax," and that he once "tied a woman up, told her to bow down before a false idol and say his god was 'Aqua Buddha.'" Political commentators on the right and left are calling the ad extreme, and are debating whether it's fair game to use one's religious beliefs as criteria to assess their candidacy. Thomas Jefferson Street blogger Peter Roff calls the fallout from the ad "devastating," and says it "shows just how desperate the Democrats may be to keep the Senate from getting close." [See where Ron Paul gets his campaign money.]

What do you think? Is Conway's add too extreme? Does it make him look desperate? Take our poll and post your thoughts below.

Previously: Can Sarah Palin Help the Tea Party?

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