Akin’s Support Craters in Missouri

Weekly Standard ^ | 8/26/12 | Fred Barnes

[rhema]

Support for Republican Todd Akin’s 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 he’s 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.

[BlatherNaut]

Is this a continuation of the GOP pile-on to prevent a genuine conservative from acquiring a Senate seat?

So the nasty evil GOP operatives decided to blithely toss the senate seat to the democrats in this critical election, simply because the Republican candidate was a "genuine conservative"?

Sure.

[xzins]

What is it the RINOs keep repeating in regard to mitt - "you go to war with the army you've got." Well, here's a chance for all those same folks to demonstrate a little consistency.

Ya know, SL, I've run across far too many ABOs who appear to just parrot the media. The truth is determined by both who in the media said it and how many of them agreed.

[MrEdd]

And if you are wrong not only do you deserve to lose, the people who suported you deserve whatever they get either way.

[Lorianne]

Ryan voted for TARP, same as McCain did.
Romney has said he would have voted for TARP.

[tsowellfan]

Win, at any cost? Is that truly wise?

Absolutely!. If it's a candidate that represents our beliefs, shares our philosophy, is a true conservative... yes, win at any cost! Win is the objective. Period.

Akin is not the only conservative in Missouri.

Yes, it is very truly wise. If we lose, the RINOs will be empowered.

[hecht]

lets see:
to at many if not most conservatives Akin is toxic
to RINOs Akin is toxic
to independents he is toxic
to most women he is toxic
to Dem voters he is toxic

I see that he has got a winning strategy. It cant be just the RINOs fault.

[dps.inspect]

There are none so blind as those, WHO WILL NOT SEE THE FREAKING TRUTH ABOUT WHAT THEY’VE DONE, and humbly step aside...

[tsowellfan]

Correction:

to Dem voters he is toxic a blessing

[bray]

Wow it took Barnes forever to get on the throw Akins under the bus bandwagon. Glad he is the only politician to misspeak. He will recover if he uses this issue to his advantage.

Pray for America

[hecht]

well stated

[bray]

What was indefensible that couldn’t be forgiven with an apology?

[dps.inspect]

Not if he won’t step aside...

[hecht]

he never misspoke

[MNJohnnie]

Try reading the post rather then scream in hysteria when the data doesn't fit your emotional opinions. The original post claimed Akin would "lose MO for Romney".

No he will not. From the poll the Rasmussen MO poll you all LOVE to cite but did not bother to read.

From the Rasmussen MO poll,

Obama’s Democratic support in the state remains largely unchanged at 96%, and voters not affiliated with either major party still favor Romney by 20 points. But Republican support in Missouri for the party’s likely nominee has fallen from 94% in late July to 85% now,”

So all you "conservatives" who insist on beating this dead Akin horse day in and day out are accomplishing is fracturing your own political base in MO. That CAN cost Romney the election.

Stop being the useful idiots of the Democrat propaganda machines tactics of distraction and diversion

[xzins]

I knew it was a money scam all along. It’s what politicians and power-brokers do, financial crises.

Ryan has a budget-balancing plan that takes TWENTY-SEVEN years to get to a balanced budge. He NEVER cuts spending, only the rate of growth. He assumes a rosy 3-4% growth throughout that time.

Now, you tell me.

Will there be a balanced budget in 27 years if there are absolutely zero cuts in spending?

[Uncle Chip]

The bad news is that it will backfire on the conservative movement ESPECIALLY if his defeat costs us the majority in the Senate.

Will it backfire on conservatives if Josh Mandel in Ohio, Ted Cruz in Texas, Rick Berg in North Dakota, Jeff Flake in Arizona, Deb Fischer in Nebraska, Richard Mourdock in Indiana, Denny Rehberg in Montana, Pete Hoekstra in Michigan, George Allen in Virginia, and others lose their races as well ---

Or are we just singling out Akin in Missouri for blame???

[so_real]

"If it's a candidate that represents our beliefs, [If it's a candidate that] shares our philosophy, [If it's a candidate that] is a true conservative ... Akin is not the only conservative in Missouri."

Okay. Such a candidate should win. Akin is not the only conservative in Missouri, but he is such a candidate, and he is the one on the ballot. He should win. But apparently the "cost" is too great for the GOPe insiders (like Rove) who have pulled the funding for his campaign. They are leaving him high and dry because the cost is too great for them. If a conservative of Akin's caliber is not what they wish to spend those dollars on, I am left to wonder what it is they are shopping for.

[bray]

Good thing we didn’t have FReepers at Iwo Jima or we would have surrendered at sea.

Pray for America

[soycd]

Well this akin clown sure flushed out the anti GOP. At least the majority of Freepers understand that akin can never win another race and how much akin’s selfishness harms the Conservative cause.

I’d still like to think that the few posters here supporting the democrat by insisting akin stay in are actually democrat trolls instead of mental midgets.

No Conservative with a functioning brain thinks giving this seat to a democrat is the best move.

[Uncle Chip]

He has zero chance at winning the Missouri Senate seat and because of that has done considerable damage to the conservative cause he claims to support.

Nonsense.