Posted on 08/26/2012 3:00:52 PM PDT by rhema
Support for Republican Todd Akins decision to stay in the Missouri Senate race has cratered and so has his favorability. Those findings come from two new polls conducted after Akin created a firestorm with his comment about legitimate rape.
Republicans, by a 47 percent to 37 percent margin, think he should drop out of the Senate contest against Democrat Claire McCaskill, and self-described Akin supporters believe the same by 50 percent to 34 percent, according to a Mason-Dixon survey. Only Democrats, sensing hes likely to lose, want him to remain a candidate, 47 percent to 37 percent.
And in a poll for conservative groups, only 24 percent of Missouri voters looked favorably on Akin and 54 percent said they regard him unfavorably.
Before his rape comment two weeks ago, Akin had a solid lead over McCaskill. Republicans counted Missouri as a likely victory that would help them take control of the Senate. Now their chances look shaky.
While Romney did well in the poll for conservative organizations, leading President Obama in Missouri by 54 percent to 41 percent, Akin trailed McCaskill, 44 percent to 36 percent. A few weeks ago, he led by five percentage points. He was ahead by 11 percentage points among independents but now is 17 points behind. Independents, by 57 percent to 25 percent, want him to drop out.
Akin, however, has vowed to stay in the race. His freefall in the two polls will make that decision more difficult to defend.
I will suggest this again. Would this be acceptable to you?
Akin meets with the Central Committee and strikes a deal. He agrees to withdraw if he can name his replacement, who would most assuredly be pro-life and conservative. If the replacement is someone who has a better shot at winning (that would be a couple million people in Missouri), they should strike the deal.
Does that work?
How many times are you going to strategically surrender before you stay and fight?
Pray for America
Exactly! The apologists for Akin are setting up these straw men and blaming Romney, Rinos and the GOP Establishment for Akin's own silly comments.
This is an insult to conservatism. We should not be crying wolf about the GOPe and RINOs because they do exist and they are a problem. To blame them for Akin's own words only hurts our credibility and the next time they undercut us FOR REAL they will laugh and claim we're just crying wolf again.
Often times it really is Conservatism vs RINOism but this is not one of those cases. To claim it it makes us look like liars.
“I do have a serious question for Akin supporters, though: how do you see him winning going forward?”
I have asked this very question many times before, and I never seem to get a realistic answer.
Mainly because there is no answer.
The three Congresswomen have sure things and safe districts and in no way would they trade a sure thing for a risky fight.
Face it -- there are just no real easy options.
That's pretty scary.
The choice is clear: Akin or Conservatism
At some point that choice will be made for us and it may not be conservatism that's the third option. There really does exist a GOPe and at some point they will make a move if we do not.
“The three Congresswomen have sure things and safe districts and in no way would they trade a sure thing for a risky fight.
Face it — there are just no real easy options.”
It wouldn’t be easy, but I feel one of them would take up the mantle if the question were asked with the full binding commitment of the entire GOP establishment to pour in the money and personnel.
I can see a fresh face adding a lot of excitement to this race as everyone is going to be tired of the Akin incident, and they are already tired of McCaskill.
Akin may be a good guy, but he is stupid and we cannot afford stupid. Worse it seems he is stuborn too even in the face of allowing the media to paint stereotypes one the rest of Conservatives nationwide that makes their job of making conservative Republican majorities in the Senate.
I’m a Missourian and I can not support a fool on a fool’s errand. Vote for him if I have no other choice but not support him when he can drop out and let a viable candidate take over.
Akin may be a good guy, but he is stupid and we cannot afford stupid. Worse it seems he is stuborn too even in the face of allowing the media to paint stereotypes one the rest of Conservatives nationwide that makes their job of making conservative Republican majorities in the Senate.
I’m a Missourian and I can not support a fool on a fool’s errand. Vote for him if I have no other choice but not support him when he can drop out and let a viable candidate take over.
You and I already know the answer, he can't and won't. But that's not the question for his supporters. They only issue for them is that he is ideologically pure. Winning doesn't matter.
It also doesn't matter that Akin was barely on the radar screen, a distant third in the race before he was annointed as the preferred opponent by McCaskill. It doesn't matter that he completely destroyed his candidacy in mere moments of stupidity following by a pile on of studpidity in his lame defense of his stupid remarks. It doesn't matter than he seems only to be interested in preserving his comfy Beltway lifestyle. None of this matters, he has been declared to be ideologically pure and that is what really counts, after all.
Now, they are all arguing about who can get closest to the podium for the concession speech. It will be a glorious night for them all. Strange lot, these.
“The choice is clear: Akin or Conservatism”
The real choice is Akin stepping down or McCaskill.
You must live in Polly Annavile somewhere between bankrupt San Bernardino and dreamy Hollywood???
“Now, they are all arguing about who can get closest to the podium for the concession speech. It will be a glorious night for them all. Strange lot, these.”
Strange indeed!
Hopefully Akin will respect the desire of the majority of republican voters in his state and step aside. If McCaskill wins, Akin will own that defeat and the national results of it.
A congresswoman, even in a safe district, would not want a shot at the Senate? Good grief. This is not California and a race against Feinstein. It is a winnable seat against McCasKILL. Except by Akin. Conservatives see it and independents see it.
A fight led by General Scheisskopf is a waste of human resources.
It seems that Uncle Chip does know quite a bit about Missouri politics. He may well be a source for some great insider info. Why, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he is a member of the Akin family, Uncle indeed. They will all enjoy the party following the concession speech in November.
Abandon? The guy walked into a clearly marked mine field and started failing around with the predictable results. Only an incompetent, or one with a death wish, would do what Akin did. You don't want a guy like that on your squad. He increases the chances of everyone else to be injured or kilt.
Would that also be at the point of a sword???
they beleive i both the magic uterus and the magic ballot box
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.