Akin’s Options

The National Review ^ | August 29, 2012 | John Fund

[Cincinatus' Wife]

............[Mary Matalin]urged that Akin drop out, to be replaced by Ann Wagner, a former co-chair of the RepublicanNationalCommittee, who is the GOP nominee for Akin’s vacant House seat.

Akin “may be dug in, but he’s not going to have a shovel to continuing digging, because he’s not going to have any money,” Matalin told ABC. “We’re going to win Missouri. Ann Wagner is going to end up being our candidate. The party is going to get Ann Wagner in.”

Wagner aides hotly dispute that their candidate is involved in any negotiations about switching races. But sources close to Akin acknowledge that he is monitoring developments in the race, including campaign donations and his standing in the polls, and that it isn’t out of the question he will change his mind.

Should Akin decide that his sliding poll numbers — he now trails McCaskill by ten points and many of his own supporters want him to exit the race — dictate dropping out, he will certainly want a say in who replaces him. John Brunner, a wealthy businessman, and Sarah Steelman, a former state treasurer, both challenged him in the GOP primary and are viewed as unacceptable by Akin forces. On the other hand, Wagner is respected in the Akin camp and a sufficiently conservative presence to satisfy Tea Party members who are suspicious of anyone the Missouri GOP establishment might anoint.

Should Akin leave the race and be replaced by Wagner, both candidates would have to petition a court to get off the ballot before September 25. But state election laws would allow a swap in which Wagner took Akin’s place and he reclaimed the Republican nomination for his House seat. His current district leans strongly Republican; he would be likely to hold it against a Democratic opponent this fall...........

[livius]

Todd isn’t in the real world. He’s a six term congress critter and hasn’t worked in the real world for many a long year. He’s a professional politician, which should have made him unelectable anyway.

[WILLIALAL]

“You again. Get you get you Dimwit talking points from McCasket today?”

Elephant, good to see you’re back. Always good to talk to someone who has help make Todd Akin the poster boy for the Pro-Life movement.

The MSM/Dems can’t thank you enough.

[napscoordinator]

So did John McCain

In 2008...so what.

[elephant]

Willie, you post with Dim talking points. Were you sent to freerepublic to be a distruptor?

[philman_36]

See reply 38. I need say no more.

[rwa265]

From yesterday’s Post-Disgrace:

A spokesman for Wagner strongly denied there was any chance she would replace Akin in the Senate race, calling Matalin’s comments a distraction.

[MEGoody]

Now this is looking less like the reaction to a clumsy answer a week ago and more like an opportunistic GOPe seeking to stick one of their own in Akin’s slot.

Bingo.

[Uncle Chip]

And what if Ann Wagner says “No Thank You”.

[elephant]

Ditto.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

[ImpBill]

"...ruining the Republican Party."

Just an opinion here FRiend, but the Republican Party has been ruined for quite some time now. And "conservatives" are the unwanted step children that the GOP would like to keep hidden in the closet.

But what do I know. I do know I watched the convention last night and between the three speakers I listened to the word "conservative" was used once, by the Gov. of NJ.

[Uncle Chip]

<>Take one for the team, Akin. This isn’t about you.<>

This poll sure is:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2924145/posts

[tsowellfan]

Well, Like Akin, John McCain is a politician first.

You are correct, legally Akin has the right to stay in no matter how badly he's losing against his pro-abortion opponent. After all, he (like John McCain) is a politician first and you have to admit, the seat he's running for would indeed be a pay raise.

If Akin was really as concerned about the pro-life movement he would decided to quit a couple of weeks ago after he realized just how damaging his comment was for the pro-life movement. But he did not drop out. He's putting something else above the unborn babies. Politics.

In the political arena that's all legal. But then again, so is abortion. What is legal does not always mean it's moral.

[donozark]

Thanks. As a rule I don’t read the Post-”Disgrace.”

[itsahoot]

Obama and Reid must exit in November. We need the Senate.

If you keep Mitch and Boehner then you have gained nothing.

[pwatson]

The big unknown here is the “coat tail” effect.
How many people vote strait ticket Republican.
I have a gut feeling this is going to be a nation wide landslide repudiation of the Dems. However never under estimate the Democrats ability to cheat I seem to remember them getting a court order to keep a black polling place open till 12pm one time.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This election means a lot. That’s why this is such a problem.

And your idea of how to win is to defeat the nominated candidate, when he refuses to go?

I'd love to see Akin go, but he's staying.

If we're going to win that seat, we're going to win it with him, whether we like it or not.

I would rather be skinned alive than have to vote for Romney, but I'm going to do it.

This is the same thing.

[tsowellfan]

see post #30 re your link

[rwa265]

I really shouldn’t, not good for the old blood pressure. I really miss the Globe-Democrat. (sigh)

[tsowellfan]

If you keep Mitch and Boehner then you have gained nothing.

Very true! "Repealing John Boehner" should be a required promise by any Conservative running for Congress.