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.
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.