Posted on 08/22/2012 12:08:00 AM PDT by Publius804
Correct.
If he drops out, the GOP Central Committee chooses a replacement. Who is on the Central Committee?
I suppose it's some of the people listed here.
Thank you for that.
Linked for others to read:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/laws/ch_115_pgs_3-152.pdf#p72
Section 115.359. Withdrawal of candidacy, deadline for, how made.
They can try, but you know that the Democrats will fight it, especially our Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. Missouri election law says that if a candidate is disqualified after September 25th then their name remains on the ballot, period. And if they win the election then the seat is declared vacant. The Republicans might argue that resignation isn't disqualification but the Democrats will argue that it has the same effect and should be treated the same. Regardless, if the GOP is going to get Akin out of there then they really need to do it before the 25th.
Anybody know what the requirements are for the court order? Is a candidate saying "I quit" enough, or does there have to be a removal for cause (like illness, injury, death)?
(I suppose you could give Mitch McConnell five minutes in a room with Akin and the "injury" or "death" options would be taken care of....)
Worse, there’s plenty of time between now and November for this nitwit to uncork another outburst of idiocy.
I will re-iterate that I was a Virginia resident in 2006 when Allen had his Macaca moment and subsequent death spiral. Akin's rape gaffe is to Allen's Macaca gaffe as Hiroshima is to a cherry bomb. Unless the press in MO is unbiased (fat chance), this is what you have to look forward to:
I have been a resident of VA since 1979. Allen lost because he kept on apologizing. He made it a much bigger issue than it had to be. He should have been more forceful in dealing with the MSM. That said, he barely lost in a very close election at a time when the Dems took back Congress in a national shellacking of the GOP. This is not 2006. 2010 may be a far better indicator of what will happen in 2012 than what happened in 2006.
Every time Akin speaks, appears, does a presser or does anything at all when cameras and microphones are around he will be repeatedly asked to "explain his offensive rape comment" and "has his opinion on the subject evolved?" He will be unable to avoid answering these questions without raising suggestions from the press and McCaskill that he "isn't transparent" or that he is "doubling down on his rape comment."
Akin should just say he has issued his final statement on the issue and there are more important issues facing this country like unemployment, the debt and deficit, and Obamacare. If the media persists, he should pull a Newt and confront the MSM directly over its bias and coverage. Most of the public believes the MSM is biased towards the Dems and will probably cheer Akin for having the cojones to confront them.
If he continues to apologize, the press and McCaskill will continue to call on him to again "clarify his position on rape." It will not end. As indicated above with the Allen case, Akin's biggest mistake would be to continue apologizing. He should address the issues that really affect the voters. 71% of Missourians want Obamacare repealed. They voted that way, It is not an opinion poll. Akin should go on the attack against McCaskill. The best defense is a good offense.
And if the GOP truly believes that the McCaskill seat is so important, they should help Akin get elected. He is their dog in this fight. Continuing to press Akin to withdraw just helps McCaskill and contributes to a self-fulfilling prophesy of defeat. The real issues have not gone away. McCaskill is still vulnerable and can be defeated. Akin has shown resolve and toughness under a huge amount of pressure. He appears ready for the fight. If you want him to win, then contribute to his campaign. As best as I can determine, Akin has never lost a race.
We should devote our energies on defeating McCaskill.
I agree. Do you agree that that objective would have been INFINITELY EASIER, if Akin had done the right thing and resigned?
I'm not optimistic. Todd Akin is shaping up to be the Mark Foley of 2012, in terms of damaging the party brand.
From your experience living in VA, we appreciate your insight on Allen. He is a very good man and had a record of competence. I agree that one apology was enough if people misinterpreted what he said. But Akin is not Allen. People really do see Akin as a nut. At least a high enough percentage, which makes him radioactive and unelectable. It is either bluster or he is truly delusional believing he can still win. His vigorous pro-life stand deserves our respect, but he apparently thinks he is the only one capable of carrying that banner. His ego is destroying any chance of replacing McCasKILL. Respectfully, that is my take.
I am from Missouri, didn’t vote for Akin the first time, and wish he would drop out now. I know of no one personally who is defending this man. He is actually giving Claire a chance at winning, which I didn’t believe was even in the realm of possibility. Apparently Claire knew, as she was running ads that benefited him.
I can’t believe the number of people on FR who are okay with stupid comments that insult rape victims and are in no way consistent with basic biology. He could have said rape victims comprise a very small percentage of abortions or that regardless of the circumstances of conception, a baby has the right to live. Instead, he said “legitimately” raped women can’t get pregnant. He is incapable of framing the issue of life in a rational, compassionate way. This is his own fault. No one made him make such a asinine statement. Why are you nastily insulting pro-life women instead of blaming Akin for being a politically tone-deaf, blithering idiot?
And that team threw him under the bus after one verbal gaffe--an error, which he apologized for. He made the verbal mistake on Sunday and immediately apologized for it. By Monday, the GOP Establishment and others were trying to force him to withdraw from a race, which he won the right to be the nominee after a bruising and tough primary.
Akin has served on the GOP team in elective office for almost 24 years--12 at the state level and 12 in Congress. He has been a consistent winner. And his 97.24 lifetime ACU rating shows him to be a team player and staunch conservative. He is a military veteran with 8 years in the National Guard. He has six children with three of his sons having served in the Marine Corps. There has never been a hint of scandal or criminality. He is a devout Christian and strong social conservative.
Akin believes he can win this race. His opponent's positions haven't changed. She still supports Obamacare and is against its repeal. She supported the stimulus bill and four years of trillion dollar deficits. Unemployment is still high.
The GOP has handled this wrong from the very beginning. They bought into the MSM hysteria and joined with the mob condemning Akin. The GOP Establishment never supported Akin for the Senate seat. He was too conservative. Much of this reaction has less to do with substance than it does with the internecine war within the GOP--RINOs versus conservatives. Brunner was their guy, bought and paid for by corporate interests. Akin has an A+ rating on immigration from NumbersUSA. Akin received endorsements from Steve King, Michele Bachmann, and Phyllis Schafly.
Todd Akin will be remembered as the political equivalent of the 1919 Black Sox.
The Black Sox scandal was about throwing games and criminality. Todd Akin is the one who wants to play the game according to the rules. He does not want to collude with the criminals to fix the election and screw the voters whose choice will be nullified and replaced by a small group of insiders. The corruption is with the GOP not the decent honorable man who wants to do the right thing, not what the sinister powers want. Karl Rove tried to influence the primaries in Delaware. He would have rather seen a Mike Castle in the Senate similar to the way we had to endure turncoat Specter in PA.
Now is the time for the GOP to support Akin if winning the seat is that important.
I completely agree. Exhibits A-_: Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle, Joe Miller, Ken Buck, Doug Hoffman .....
When the candidate becomes the issue, rather than the REAL ISSUES of the campaign, we've lost. The MSM will see to it.
IMO the GOP had a different agenda. They saw an opportunity to remove Akin (to conservative for Missouri voters) and replace him with someone more acceptable to the Establishment. Akin had the strength of character not to buckle. I suspect Akin was offered both carrots and sticks to get out of the race. He stood his ground, which I admire.
I see this as similar to the reaction of the Establishment to the Mourdock defeat of Lugar in the primary. They were upset about losing a sure seat and a RINO senator who really didn't have a residence in IN. He was an Inside the Beltway guy. Lugar is so vindictive that he will not help Mourdock campaign. He would rather see the seat go to the Dems than help a fellow Rep. Loyalty begets loyalty. The GOP should have shown some loyalty to Akin who has served the GOP in elective office for 24 years. He did nothing criminal or even committed an indiscretion.
Mark Foley? How is what Akin said similar to what Mark Foley did with interns? What are your views on abortion? Do you think the abortion plank in the 2012 Rep platform damages the Rep brand?
That may be a perception, not a reality. Akin will have to show the people of Missouri that he is not "a nut." He served 12 years in the State House and 12 years in Congress. Maybe the people of Missouri know him a little better than we give them credit for.
Sorry but we will agree to disagree about his electoral chances. He can win, but the GOP must now call off the dogs and support him. He is their dog in this fight. Who has the bigger ego, Akin or the GOP Establishment?
Oh come on! That is an insult to Mourdock and your fellow FReepers who only want to unseat McCasKILL. ALL FReepers cheered Mourdock's win!
This is ALL Akin's doing, not some GOPe vendetta. That's just intellectually dishonest. It is easy to see how he will lose this CRITICAL Senate seat and allow one of the worst anti-LIFE Senators another SIX years!
It is so telling when your extreme liberal opponent (McCaskill) wants you (Akin) to stay in the race (Missouri update) and invested money in your primary win!
So you don’t accept his apology and explanation? Will you vote for Akin in November?
I was not talking about FReeper reaction to Mourdock, but rather, the GOP Establishment. I made that quite clear. Lugar was a dead lock on reelection. No doubt about it. Mourdock is not.
I have no idea what FReeper reaction was when Akin got the nomination. I know that some supported Steeleman because of the Palin endorsement.
This is ALL Akin's doing, not some GOPe vendetta. That's just intellectually dishonest. It is easy to see how he will lose this CRITICAL Senate seat and allow one of the worst anti-LIFE Senators another SIX years!
The GOP piled on immediately. They wanted him out, apology or not. One verbal gaffe and he was toast as far as they were concerned. Priebus and Cornyn indicated they were cutting off funding if he remained in the race.
The people of Missouri will decide whether they want McCaskill (Obamacare, deficits, national debt, failed stimulus, an out of control EPA, unemployment) versus Akin(good on the issues affecting real people in real life but committed one verbal gaffe.) If the people of Missouri cannot sort this out, then I have no sympathy for them. We deserve to lose if we can't make this case to the people.
McCaskill wants Akin because he is the most conservative candidate. This was before the verbal gaffe. The voters will have a clear choice. McCaskill should be careful for what she wished for. America loves the underdog. Hopefully, Missouri will too. It is in their own interests to vote for Akin. McCaskill's policies versus Akin's verbal gaffe. What has more impact on their lives?
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