Poor candidate though he was, Romney won Missouri 53.9% to 44.3%. He crushed Obama. Romney lost nationally by about 4%, which was not some insurmountable amount had he run a better campaign - despite his glaring flaws. He at least had a chance.
Akin managed to LOSE to perhaps THE most vulnerable Senate candidate, Claire McCaskill by 54.7% to 39.2%. Akin couldn’t even get 40% of the vote and ended up losing by 15 points to a terribly weak incumbent in what has become a red state
This is the reason Democrats funneled money to Akin’s primary campaign. He didn’t lose because conservatives listened to idiots, Akin lost because he WAS an idiot.
He lost because a bunch of cowards ran around screaming the sky is falling. His polls were fine until the GOP hit squad hit the talk shows to condemn him as the antichrist and people bought it. Yeas of conservative voting tanked and for what.
Meanwhile the very same people so freaked over one dumb comment went dutifully to the polls and voted for a jackass that gave his own cash to have babies murdered in Planned Barrenhood.
Yea...the stupid comment was far worse.