Replies

“How is he possibly going to recover?”

McCaskill -still- can’t break 50% as an incumbent. If this is to be a total loss for Akin, if his remarks were enough to doom his Senate bid, and if the voters were going to turn from him to her, her polls would be over 50% now. Yet even after Akin [supposedly] commits political hari kari, the best she can do is 48%. She is a weak candidate, as weak as they come.

Yes, after a VERY stupid remark, Akin has fallen ten points behind, but at 38%, but I sense that he can still come from behind.

If he decides to leave voluntarily, before September 25, it might be possible to replace him on the ballot (even though a court order will be required). If he holds out through 9/25, there will be no “end run” around him. The only remaining choices will be to abandon him (and perhaps abandon hopes for the Pubbies retaking the Senate), or to say the heck with it, grit our teeth, and support him (as we chant to ourselves, “he may be an SOB, but he’s OUR SOB!”).

I don’t believe Akin will withdraw his name. From where he stands, he sees himself as being “in the right”, his very ill-advised remark notwithstanding. He probably believes that he won the right to represent the Republicans as the candidate fair and square (which he did). He views himself as having principles and he isn’t giving them up (don’t I hear platitudes all the time right here on FR about “sticking to one’s principles”?)

Final thought:
In reply #29 above “so_real” lists the conservative record of Mr. Akin, while serving as a Representative. Those are pretty impressive credentials. Time and time and time and time and time (had enough yet?) again, I’ve seen remarks in this forum to the effect “when are we going to get a REAL conservative for whom to vote?” Well, folks, we have one, in Mr. Akin — even if he suffers from Joe Biden disease now and then. No one is perfect. And because this is a pro-life forum, here is someone who is 100% pro-life. Is this who we want, or not?