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Hannity to Akin: You know you could cost us the Senate, right?
Hot Air ^ | August 20, 2012 | Allahpundit

Posted on 08/20/2012 3:47:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Via BuzzFeed, it’s important that people like Hannity, Coulter, and the boss emeritus are leaning on this guy too, not just Romney and Reince Priebus. Without pressure from all-stars on the right, he can dig in and turn it into a “weak-ass establishment RINOs are selling me out to the Democrats” populist attack on D.C. Republicans. That might be enough to rally grassroots conservatives to his side and keep him in the race, but not enough to prevent him from losing to McCaskill and, just maybe, dragging the ticket down with him. How lucky do you feel? Want to bet the future of repealing ObamaCare on Akin’s ability to not only recover from his theory of the female body’s magical defenses against rape-sperm but to avoid other goofy errors between now and November? John Brunner, who finished second to Akin in the primary, is reportedly already angling to replace him if he drops; Sarah Steelman, who finished within a point of Brunner, is almost certainly interested too, especially since she’d be inoculated from Akin’s comments due to her gender. If the game’s on the line in the late innings and your pitcher’s getting shelled, why not go to the pen while you can? Even the Tea Party Express, imagining another Angle/O’Donnell nightmare scenario in November, is unsparing:

daveweigel✔ @daveweigel

Tea Party Express, which backed Sharron Angle, calls for Akin to go, based on "the lessons we learned in 2010" about bad candidates

20 Aug 12 Reply Retweet Favorite

Akin’s been consistent today about saying he’ll stay in, but I keep seeing reports like this from plugged-in pundits on Twitter:

Richard Grenell@RichardGrenell

Breaking: Senior GOP official: Akin advisors making preparations for a withdrawal tomorrow.

20 Aug 12 Reply Retweet Favorite

Erick Erickson✔ @EWErickson

Just to be clear one more time, consultants involved are telling me Akin will withdraw. Akin & his campaign deny he will withdraw.

20 Aug 12 Reply Retweet Favorite

David Harsanyi@davidharsanyi

Longtime Missouri GOP insider tells me that Akin is meeting with staff and having a prayer vigil tonight. Looking for way out "gracefully"

20 Aug 12 Reply Retweet Favorite

BuzzFeed’s getting mixed signals:

“Akin is taking concrete steps to withdraw by tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.,” a senior Republican told BuzzFeed, adding that Akin could still change his mind.

But a Republican close to Akin said his position hasn’t changed: He’s still in the race.

Tomorrow afternoon is an important deadline: If he files papers to end his candidacy in Jefferson City tomorrow he can end his candidacy unilaterally; after that, he would have to file an application in court.

Could be that Akin hasn’t given any indication privately about quitting but that the consultants, who suspect he’s DOA if he stays in, are trying to shove him towards the exit by creating a false narrative in the media about him supposedly dropping out. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: The more the press reports that he’s on his way out and the more positive feedback those reports receive from the right, the more Akin might feel that he has no allies left and is better off quitting. The thing is, if he decided to stick with it, how likely is it really that the NRSC and Republican Super PACs would follow through on their threats and refuse to spend any money on his race in the fall? He may lag behind McCaskill, but probably not by so much that the race’s outcome will become a foregone conclusion; if we get to October and he’s within five or six points, the pressure on the NRSC and outside groups to come to his rescue will be tremendous, even though the money they’d be spending on him could also be useful in other races. The reason they’re threatening to withhold funds now is purely a bluff to convince him that he has zero chance of winning and therefore stands to gain nothing by staying in. But if he does stay in, and ends up being the only game in town for Republicans, will they really cut him off?

Two exit quotations for this one. The first, from NBC: “[A] source with ties to Akin’s political operation tells First Read that the GOP congressman most likely won’t quit the contest, saying Akin believes this race is ‘providential’ and even if Akin was ready to get out, his wife would never let him quit.” The second, from Philip Klein: “At this point, if Akin doesn’t drop, McCaskill can run ads all fall simply quoting Republicans condemning him.”

(VIDEO AT LINK)


TOPICS: Missouri; Campaign News; Parties; U.S. Senate
KEYWORDS: akin; hannity; missouri; mo2012; rape; republicans; sarahpalin; sarahsteelman; senate; talkradio; toddakin
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To: Mach9

Competence is that any pro-life Republican running against an incumbent Democrat in a senate race should expect the “abortion in cases of rape and incest” question to be asked just as anyone taking a driving test should be expected to be asked to make a left turn.

So said candidate should have long before then have a answer to that question prepared that is 1) pro-life 2)articulate and well thought out and 3) persuasive.

The fact this guy didn’t tells me he’s never ran a real campaign(i.e. one not in a heavily Republican district), and isn’t ready for prime time.

He didn’t get caught on some obscure gotcha topic, he failed to be prepared for most obvious and cliched trap in the book.

Incompetence is the only appropriate description of his lack of preparedness.


41 posted on 08/20/2012 4:43:36 PM PDT by Truthsearcher
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To: mwl8787

Talent lost to McCaskill in ‘06. Methinks we need a woman candidate after this Akin fiasco. Steelman/Wagner would be my picks.


42 posted on 08/20/2012 4:46:00 PM PDT by donozark (I never trusted anyone above the rank of Corporal, including myself.)
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To: Mach9
Rape seldom (more seldom than one in 400,000 incidents) results in pregnancy.

False. It happens in 5% of rape cases.

43 posted on 08/20/2012 4:48:14 PM PDT by newzjunkey (Election night is 77 days away.)
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To: entropy12
Saying a woman has remote chance of getting pregnant due to rape is simply moronic, untrue, and idiotic.

Agree it was unwise of Akin to say.

But "moronic, untrue, and idiotic"? No. You're wrong there.

Dr. John C. Wilkie, MD, OB/GYN on why pregnancy resulting from traumatic rape is rare

44 posted on 08/20/2012 4:49:04 PM PDT by shhrubbery! (NIH!)
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To: sarasmom

Rape today seems to have meanings it lacked 50, even 25, years ago. Sometimes it’s semi-consensual (”date rape” covers everything from forced or violent to “hey, I’m not in the mood”). But if rape is violent or forced, the chances of its resulting in pregnancy are practically nonexistent. That’s no old wives’ tale. Of course, making that fact public is the last thing NARAL will allow. In attempting to reduce the number of abortions, Conservatives have compromised on rape and incest when at least in the case of the former no compromise was necessary.


45 posted on 08/20/2012 4:50:37 PM PDT by Mach9
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To: newzjunkey

Claimed rapes or court-prosecuted rapes. There’s a huge difference. And where did the 5% figure come from—NARAL?


46 posted on 08/20/2012 4:51:59 PM PDT by Mach9
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To: shhrubbery!

So he was merely trying to articulate a concept?

ROTFLMAO!

What other interesting “concepts” has he not yet “articulated” that may be of interest to his potential constituents?


47 posted on 08/20/2012 4:54:34 PM PDT by sarasmom
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To: sarasmom
So he was merely trying to articulate a concept?

Yes, he was indeed.

And the word "trying" is important.

Glad that I somehow played a role in giving you you the giggles over this dead-serious topic.

48 posted on 08/20/2012 4:58:05 PM PDT by shhrubbery! (NIH!)
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To: Truthsearcher

It’s odd then that the subject never materialized in any previous campaigns, whether or not he ran in Republican districts. Obviously, if the Republicans in his district had the “intelligence” of those supporting the national GOP, they’d have come up with the same question or vetted him more thoroughly. The fact is, they didn’t.

Like a driver’s test, more than one question decides the outcome. THIS is a reason to throw him to the wolves?


49 posted on 08/20/2012 4:58:26 PM PDT by Mach9
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To: shhrubbery!
Akin didn't say anything remotely like "magical."

"... if it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

So Mr. Akin knows that females are capable of certain internal reproductive mechanisms that can self-regulate prenancy, yet these mechanisms remain undiscovered by modern medicine.

Oh, wait, I just taled to Dr. Quack!

Akin currently serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Oh no.

50 posted on 08/20/2012 4:59:16 PM PDT by muleskinner
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To: mwl8787

Let’s see, in spite of everything McCaakill is 11 point behind, now. So, let’s help her out by eating our own. Right. If Akin were a Dim the entire Dim structure and Akin would show their backbone and by election day beat the effects of the gaffe. But, a GOPer, no; the Dims recruit the GOPers to eact their own - and lose.


51 posted on 08/20/2012 5:01:13 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Mach9
There are 3 points of importance in his statement. First, legitimate rape. This is a term that he used to distinguish real rape from statutory rape and fake rape. He's correct on this. Second, rarity of pregnancy from rape. The only data available put the number at 5%, which one can argue support his claim. The third one is his assessment that woman's body somehow has a built-in mechanism that prevents pregnancy from rape. This is wrong, as the fact that he recognize the rarity means it's not impossible, and the body mechanism argument just doesn't fly.

Beyond the three points above, there is political reality. As a Republican candidate, he unnecessarily dragged the whole election to talk about rape, instead of the economy. Rape is deeply personal and emotional issues, and unlike abortion, the women are the victims here. As such, any mistake like the third point above will be explosive. His mistake will affect not only his own race but also the other races.

52 posted on 08/20/2012 5:02:40 PM PDT by paudio (Two stubborn facts remain: (1) Romney is better than 0bama, and (2) Romney is the Republican Nominee)
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To: Zhang Fei

Yes, indeed. Great man. His wife was a very nice lady, as well. Another man who never got his due.


53 posted on 08/20/2012 5:04:52 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: muleskinner
So Mr. Akin knows that females are capable of certain internal reproductive mechanisms that can self-regulate prenancy, yet these mechanisms remain undiscovered by modern medicine.

I must infer from your statement that you, Mr. muleskinner, are an expert on "modern medicine." Care to provide us with your credentials?

Now for a quote from a real expert:

"... one of the most important reasons why a rape victim rarely gets pregnant ... is psychic trauma. Every woman is aware that stress and emotional factors can alter her menstrual cycle. To get pregnant and stay pregnant, a woman’s body must produce a very sophisticated mix of hormones. Hormone production is controlled by a part of the brain which is easily influenced by emotions. There’s no greater emotional trauma that can be experienced by a woman than an assault rape. This can radically upset her possibility of ovulation, fertilization, implantation and even nurturing of a pregnancy."

source: Dr. John C. Wilkie, MD, OB/GYN

54 posted on 08/20/2012 5:08:35 PM PDT by shhrubbery! (NIH!)
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To: rwfromkansas

Thanks for posting those numbers. I have been calling ALL DAY.

I heard this guy on Hannity and he is as thick as a brick.

I really think he thinks he’s entitled to this.

You know, this schmuck could cost us the whole enchilada and Hannity even said that to him and it was pretty clear he just didn’t care.

A first class political hack.

Here is a link listing the numbers for all the missouri county chairs, one for each district must be female.

http://www.mogop.org/resources/mo-gop/committee-finder/?qt=state

I got a hold of one tonight, she’s supporting him. Because “it’s not fair” that the Dims get away with their racist, sexists statements.

Well that’s great, life’s not fair. Grow up and deal with the sad reality of the fallen earth in which we live. The REALITY of it.


55 posted on 08/20/2012 5:09:04 PM PDT by jocon307
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To: muleskinner
Just read The National Republican Party is now pulling all funding from his campaign.

Well, Bye...

56 posted on 08/20/2012 5:10:51 PM PDT by muleskinner
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To: Taffini
No one expects a so-called “entertainer” like Miss Goldberg to talk sense and are amazed when they occasionally do. We expect more from a United States senator, a person who makes our laws.
57 posted on 08/20/2012 5:14:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: Mach9
>>>Rape today seems to have meanings it lacked 50, even 25, years ago. Sometimes it’s semi-consensual (”date rape” covers everything from forced or violent to “hey, I’m not in the mood”).

As a 25 yr military man...and a 20 year minister of the Gospel...there are a LOT of things that are different from 50 or even 25 years ago. A lot of them are bad...but the definitions of "rape" isn't one of them buddy. My mom was date raped at a teen party back in the 60's. Your kind of stinking thinking wasn't called rape back then...it was called the girl playing hard to get...because you didn't get her drunk enough. Her story to me is why I am a victim advocate with military rape victims. It happens....yet people such as yourself (and I meet them all the time) want to call it something besides what it is.

I've got a daughter. She's 4. Me and my hunting buddies (her two brothers) would call that rape today. No...not everything is as great as it was in the good old days. I'm glad my black friends can drink at the same fountain as me here in Texas...and I'm glad some perv would go to jail today for raping my mom...instead of being the BMOC.

58 posted on 08/20/2012 5:15:04 PM PDT by NELSON111
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To: Mach9

If you’re in a heavily Republican district with strong pro-life constituents, then of course such a question would never come up, because there is no gotcha there. The voters already agree with you.

Running for senate in a swing state is a completely different matter, and he clearly is not prepared if he flopped this badly this early.

Yes, this is a reason to throw him overboard. Because he’s a terrible candidate and the only silverlining right now is that we found out while there is still time for a replacement. Better now than over the next 3 month.


59 posted on 08/20/2012 5:15:24 PM PDT by Truthsearcher
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To: Uncle Slayton

“...a true Pro Life Conservative.”

I find that hard to believe. I’ve been to several pro-life rallies where women spoke about being raped and how they brought those pregnancies to term. Yeah, “legitimate” rapes.

I don’t know how anyone can fail to grasp how stupid and offensive what he said was. How much it would/is hurting our side when we have Obama and co. saying the republicans want to have a “war on women”.

I read today that the likelihood of pregnancy from rape is no less than the likelihood of pregnancy from any other “random” act of intercourse.

Let me quote that French guy: Akin missed a good opportunity to shut up.

His remarks are indefensible. Other indefensible remarks made by other people are not relevant.

I don’t care who supports him, the probability is he’ll cost us that seat, a seat that was supposed to be a lock for us. That might cost us the senate.

He gave fodder to the enemy and the damage he does might be incalculable.

He needs to GO. AWAY. NOW.


60 posted on 08/20/2012 5:15:57 PM PDT by jocon307
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