I was really bothered this morning when I saw the latest Huckabee ad. It took me a while to put my finger on why, but it has something to do with the "Christian Leader" tag line that ran across the screen midway.

Somewhere along the line, I got this idea of equality stuck in my head while growing up. I don't really know how it got there. But it runs something like this, you should not judge a person based upon their race, sex, or religion. Our society should look beyond those things and look at a person for who they are. In fact, I considered it a hallmark of religious freedom to not have others judging you for being true to your beliefs because we respected that it is better to live in a society where we don't persecute others for their beliefs. Somewhat related to what Kathryn Jean Lopez had to say at NRO today.

Now, I am an attorney, and the misuse of these same categories can subject you to sanction as an ethics violation. People will say that race and sex are different from religion. But to me they aren't. Sure, if someone's religious belief is dangerous, I have a problem with that, but not with the belief itself, with the manifestation and action upon that belief and the harm it will cause to society.

The use of religion by Huckabee to promote his political aspirations is extraordinarily opportunistic and despicable. What is Huckabee going to do when he is running against Hillary, run an ad with the tag line in the background, "Male Leader?" Or what about if he runs against Barack Obama, is Huckabee going to have a tag line that says "White Leader?" There are some differences that just should not be contrasted. Huckabee's playing of the religion card is one of those examples. I don't like it and I don't think it is becoming of a presidential candidate.

Do we really want candidates stating their religion as the reason they should be elected to office? There is a certain vainness in turning any religious name, especially Christ into a campaign slogan. Something about this just doesn't sit well with me. It is clearly a strategy to win, but I don't think it is one to be proud of. I believe in an America where what denomination you belong to does not determine whether you can be President. I would never vote for Romney because he is a Mormon. I would never vote against him because he is a Mormon. Likewise, I would never vote against Huckabee because he is a Christian and I would never vote for him because he is one. That vote wouldn't be rational, because it would ignore all of the other qualities that might make someone a very good leader, or a very bad one.