As conservative evangelicals assess the outcome of the 2008 election, a leading spokesperson is offering some advice for the movement’s future.

Mark DeMoss, who heads an Atlanta-based PR firm for religious organizations, writes in a guest post on Beliefnet, “I have an idea for a new project for evangelicals: we could lead the charge to get rid of negative political advertising, irritating “push” calling, and generally mean-spirited, petty campaign behavior…”

In addition to demanding civility from candidates, DeMoss urges evangelicals to stop demonizing their opponents while claiming perfection in their own candidates — which, he claims, causes them to “lose credibility and legitimacy.”

DeMoss calls on evangelicals to be more generous with campaign contributions and to support qualified candidates who share their values, as opposed to simply voting for politicians who belong to their particular religious denomination. In his Beliefnet post, he writes:

Along the campaign trail I met so many people, including pastors and religious leaders, who could tell me only that their choice for president was a “good Christian” or “one of us.” This, in my view, is a dangerously inadequate approach to choosing our highest leaders. We don’t choose people for any other positions using this test; why would we apply it to one of the most important positions on the planet?

DeMoss, who identifies himself as an “evangelical Southern Baptist,” worked for Mitt Romney (a Mormon) in the GOP primary campaign, and voted for John McCain in the general election.

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A year ago, North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole appeared to hold a safe Republican seat in a solid “red” state. But as her victorious Democratic challenger Kay Hagan put it tonight, “What a difference a year makes.”

Political strategists will, no doubt, spend the upcoming months analyzing this race and come up with a slew of factors that led to Dole’s defeat. But voters already have their ideas.

I received this email on Facebook from Steve, a FOX News viewer in Charlotte, NC:

Her advisers blew it with the Anti-God ad. Lots of people have moved here from the North and are good Christians but, they are Democrats. I am a staunch Republican but, I took offense to it. Especially since I was aware of Kay Hagan’s faith.

Steve is referring to an ad the Dole campaign launched last week, attempting to link Hagan to an atheist group.

The issue stems from a September fundraiser Hagan attended in Boston. Among some 40 individuals hosting the event was an adviser to Godless Americans, a political action committee that lobbies for separation of church and state.

Dole’s ad was an apparent appeal to the GOP’s conservative base. But the move may have appeared awkward coming from a senator who was generally considered a moderate Republican. And attacking her opponent on religion was a long shot, given that Hagan is a Presbyterian church elder and longtime Sunday school teacher.

The band is playing and Kay Hagan’s supporters cheer each time the TV monitors deliver favorable news of Democratic gains throughout the nation. But the loudest cheers came when Hagan became the projected winner in her run against Republican incumbent Senator Elizabeth Dole.

The crowd now awaits Hagan’s victory speech here in a packed atrium of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

Related Post: The U.S. Senate Race: Holy War in North Carolina.

We’ve arrived at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, where Kay Hagan’s U.S. Senate campaign is setting up for, what organizers hope will be, a victory celebration.

Most recent polls show the Democratic challenger with a small lead over Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole.

Outside groups have spent more than $16 million, fueling attack ads. Most of the ads are what you would expect: Dole is linked to the Bush economy and Hagan to a liberal Democratic agenda.

But it was an ad sponsored by the Dole campaign last week that generated the most controversy. The ad links Hagan to an atheist group.

The issue stems from a September fundraiser at the Boston, Mass. home of attorney Woody Kaplan, who serves as an adviser to Godless Americans, a political action committee that advocates separation of church and state.

“This was an event with nearly 40 hosts, including an ambassador and a sitting U.S. Senator (John Kerry),” Hagan said at a news conference held outside her Greensboro church last week.

Hagan is a Presbyterian church elder and longtime Sunday school teacher.

Dole drew sharp criticism for the ad from the editorial boards of several North Carolina newspapers.

This is certainly not the first time a politician has used religion to rally conservative voters in this Bible Belt state. Whether this old strategy works in the current election climate remains unclear.

Earlier this year, conventional wisdom suggested John McCain was safe in the solidly “red” states of Georgia and North Carolina. But in recent months, Barack Obama has made inroads that have surprised even his campaign staff.

The latest Zogby Poll shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by less than one half of a percentage point. And the latest InsiderAdvantage Poll shows McCain leading Obama in Georgia by one point.

Taking into account the statistical margin of error for these surveys, the presidential race in both states is a dead heat.

A combination of economic jitters and Obama’s ability to recruit new voters has also turned, what were considered “safe,” GOP Senate seats into competitive races.

In North Carolina, a  Rasmussen Reports Poll conducted Oct. 29 shows Incumbent Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole trailing Democratic challenger Kay Hagan by six points.

In Georgia, the latest InsiderAdvantage Poll shows incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss leading Democratic challenger Jim Martin 48 to 43. But if neither candidate tops 50 percent in today’s election, the race goes into a December 2 runoff — potentially giving Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley (who trails at 2 percent) some influence in determining the outcome, depending on who he endorses.

On Sunday, I moderated the final U.S. Senate Debate between these three candidates. There was much finger pointing (both figuratively and literally).

At the beginning of this election cycle, few would have guessed these races would be so competitive.