Akins and Murdoch’s problems were not that they were social conservatives. Their problems were their tongues flapping without engaging their brains. They made totally unpalatable statements that became huge soundbites for their opposition.
It doesn’t take a great brain to say simply “my religion leads me to respect all life as sacred until we have these issues decided by elected legislatures and not by unelected judges. I’m a great believer in “due process of law.”
When the RNC announced they were cutting off Akin and Mourdock and Akin and Mourdock only - that was a disaster. They cut their own throats. The result - lowered turnout.
Had the RNC stood behind their nominees and did their job - the Republican party would have won this election.