Posted on 08/24/2012 6:43:31 AM PDT by GlockThe Vote
Let me put this as simply as I know how. Akin was ahead 11 points. A snare was set for him and he took the 'bait' on principle, of course. And he unleashed a stink bomb that will smell up this whole election process.
Clarie has spent the past year hunting for tall grass to hide her Obama connections... but we have had blasting heat and a drought. She was not finding any tall grass to hide her liberalism. Her objective was to dress up and call herself a 'moderate'. But she was a naked liberal until Akin handed her a mink coat, on principle of course.
Maybe you don’t think so, but millions of women do and they are going to be horrified if the GOP sticks w whack job.
The fact that the Stalinist MSM and the dems are going to jump on this from now until November is just the icing on the cake.
It’s not Akins fault, it all the stupid people that live in Missouri. If they are going to hold Romney accountable for Akins comments, that are positively stupid. Then again, this is the same state that elected McCaskill in the first place! Also remember the voted in the widow of Mel Carnahan back in 2000 when she took over his race when he died.
Missourians are stupid. They deserve McCaskill and 0bama.
(I say this with all due respect to our fellow FReepers in Missouri who do know better than most of their fellow citizens and will now suffer because of them.)
Go talk to some moderate or swing vote independent women. Akin's comments, particularly the women's biological rape conception defense statement are so offensive that they are beyond the pale and redemption. They will have nothing to do with him or any party that would defend him. The controversy will not die down and his continued Republican candidacy has impacts far beyond the individual race.
Chris, I really do see your point here. And I feel the same way in part.
However the tragedy of the situation is that Akin is taking an indefensible stance. He is making it easy for the commies to paint him as an extreme nut, because he is one. The MSM doesn't need to resort to any lying or distortion. And then you get Huckaphony doubling down on his obnoxious comments.
I actually agree that his comments were not that big of a deal and shouldn’t affect how someone would vote.
But the fact that he said “legitimate rape” suggests that there is such a thing an illegitmate rape - such as where a woman says no when she really means yes. When men say this (even if it is true that some women sometimes do say no when they mean yes) it scares the hell out of them. Having said that, I don’t think that Akin had what I just said in mind when he made that comment - he was probably talking about statutory rape.
BUT, all of that is irrelevant because regardless what the truth is or whether you believe that Akin is being treated fairly, in my opinion it is undeniable that he has damaged himself (look at the polls) and that a replacement would have a better shot at winning. And taking the necessary steps now to have the best shot at winning , given the state of our knowledge at this point in time, is why I think Akin should bow out.
How does that square with Akin's numbers dropping like a brick?
I live in Southern IL and listened to Dana’s show yesterday. She said she voted for Akin. Rasmussen’s has a history of fairly objective polls.
From Wikipedia:
Speaking about his political views, Rasmussen said, “I was brought up loosely as a Republican, but at our family dinner table we talked about the important politics of the New York Giants and the New York Yankees. There was no political discussion in my life growing up. I became a Democrat after Richard Nixon and into the Jimmy Carter era and have been an Independent ever since. I spoke today about how the American people were skeptical about politicians—well, I’m more skeptical. I really do see the core issue as the political class versus mainstream voters. I think that is a much bigger gap than Republican, Democrat, conservative, or liberal.”[
They dropped to -10 immediately but they've leveled off. From a grassroots perspective, I see a lot of support for him. His fundraising is beating his own goals.
It has nothing to do with making me happy. Akin won the primary and deserves to see this thru to the end. You don't start removing candidates on the campaign trail because they make a verbal gaffe. You plow the field with the oxen God gave you. And this debacle was made far worse by the GOP Establishment. The question is whether the GOP will provide any support to Akin or will abandon him completely.
Ego over principle? Is that really the choice? It really is the other way around--principle over coercion. The supporters who gave Akin the win deserve to vote for him as senator. I would rather have someone who emerged from the primary, which 700,000 people participated in than have a small cabal of GOP insiders decide who the candidate should be.
Oh BS. Quit with the persecution complex. Akin was obviously the weakest of the candidates. That is why McCaskill and the Democrats put 1-2 million in the GOP primary to help him win the nomination
Good grief, for love of all that is good in this world, please stop defending this woman. O'Donnell is a complete flake. It's like some of you people are looking at her and purposefully ignoring all the bizarre behavior.
I wish you would get better informed. I am not defending her. She ran twice for senator. SHE WON THE GOP PRIMARY. THERE WAS A VOTE BY THE PEOPLE. There are all kinds of flakes in Congress, many of them Dems. It is not an automatic disqualifier. She would certainly be better on the issues than Coons. And who is a bigger Delaware flake than Biden the Plagiarizer and Gaffe-Machine?
I am glad that she defeated, with major Tea Party support, Castle who refused to support her after she won. Lugar won't campaign for Mourdock. The sooner we purge the pseudo-Reps the better.
This is the woman that whined that the "establishment" wouldn't support her after having 4 years previously lost a GOP primary race and then abandoned the party and ran a complete failure of a 3rd party write-in bid.
You left out that she was the Rep nominee for the Senate in 2008 and lost to Biden 65% to 35%. McCain only received 37% of the vote against Obama in Delaware. She lost to Coons 57% to 40%. Delaware is a very blue state.
Ah, almost neighbors then! I am in Fairfax County and agree with your points about VA, demographics, etc.
Are you a member of the FCRC? I am.
Taranto on this topic:
Earlier today, Scott Rasmussen told Breitbart News’s Dana Loesch on her radio show that Romney’s recent losses in Missouri—primarily among men—were not due to Akin but to Romney’s call for Akin to step down.
Today, Rasmussen Reports has released a presidential poll run in Missouri on August 22. The poll indicates alarming movement in the Obama/Romney horse race resulting from MO’s GOP senate nominee Todd Akin’s controversial remarks. Clearly, there has been collateral damage.
Before Akin’s remarks hit the airwaves and consequent media frenzy erupted, Romney led Obama 50% to 44%. However, one month later, Romney has not only lost his lead and dropped 4%, but Obama now has 1% advantage. The campaign might have expected a bounce from the announcement of Paul Ryan as the vice-presidential pick, but that bounce is impossible to quantify now.
Where are Romney’s losses? He has lost 9% of the male vote. In July, we saw Romney with 58% of the male vote. The latest numbers show that Romney’s male support has dropped to 49%. Obama has picked up 5% of Romney’s losses.
With these new developments, it will be difficult for the left to spin Akin’s remarks as part of the “GOP war on women.” Romney’s support among women is consistent before and after the Akin affair, 44% support him now and 44% supported him in July.
He misspoke. Have you read or heard his apology and explanation?
Huckabee asked Akin whether he was talking about "forcible rape" when he used the term "legitimate rape."
"I was talking about forcible rape, and it was absolutely the wrong word," Akin said.
Akin said he understands that women can become pregnant from rape. "I didn't mean to imply that wasn't the case," he said. "That does happen."
While Akin acknowledged he made a "very, very serious error," he added that he's not dropping out of the Senate race.
"I don't know that I'm the only person in public office who suffered from foot-in-mouth disease," he said. "I feel just as strongly as ever that my background and ability will be a big asset in replacing Claire McCaskill... Just because someone makes a mistake doesn't make them useless."
Some liberals tried to tie other Republicans to Akin's comments, noting that Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, co-sponsored an abortion-related bill with Akin that would have limited federal funding for abortions to victims of forcible rape," rather than just rape. The FBI's definition of rape is known as "forcible rape," and it is used to distinguish between statutory rape and other kinds of rape.
He should have disassociated himself from the remarks and then said he was leaving it up to Akin and the GOP in Missouri to decide how to move forward.
Well, listen, I will put aside any bravado on my part, I appreciate your response, but I can’t agree that his stance is indefensible.
I don’t agree with what he said, I’m not 100% pro life. I support the rape, incect and life of the mother exception.
I really believe that is a reaosnable position. So not only do I not support what he said in terms of belief, I also don’t support it in terms of his choice of words that day.
I do support his right to believe as he does. I support his conviction of his beliefs. I support him for not backing down. I like his toughness. What he said wasn’t all that outlandish. Certianly “legitimate rape” was a bad choice of words. Forcible rape would have been so very much better.
But people aren’t perfect. I know I’m not. I screw up every time I get out of bed. I can’t even make my first cup of coffee without screwing up the checklist.
If I had a bunch of banshees watching over my shoulder for every single mistake, I show ‘em the middle finger and tell them to fork off. And that is exactly what he did.
This man is a solid conservative. He messed up. He asked for forgiveness, and I gave it despite my being angry with him initially. America needs men like him. I simply cannot toss him under the bus, but I can toss those who toss good men under the bus under the bus.
I am not at all pleased by the cowardice I have seen related to this matter. I can barely stomach it.
Yes, I agree that is what happened.
The only response that we have at this point, considering that Akin did not leave the race, is to harden. We have to put our boots on our blistered feet and charge down our enemy while we starve.
This is a war for the life of America.
I am not prepared to give my stinking enemy one damn inch of ground. If they take an inch from me then I will charge them down with my mataphorical bayonet until their worthless husks no longer soil my ground.
This is serious. We have to fight, not run. If we run they will shoot us in the back, and I will not give them that opportunity. They are going to see my eyes and the hate I have for them the entire time.
Metaphorically speaking, of course.
“McCain won Missouri 49.36% to 49.23%, a difference of 4,000 votes.”
Not a valid argument. Indiana was an Obama state last time to the same degree MO was a McCain state...and Obama is a dead duck this year in Indiana. You’re really grasping at straws, I think.
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