I hope the night will bring counsel and he will withdraw tomorrow. This wasn’t just a poor choice of words. It displays a massive ignorance of basic biology. Sir, if women could avoid pregnancy by just thinking it away, there wouldn’t be such a huge market in contraceptives. To lose control of the Senate over this kind of Christine O’Donnell-like moment would deal a serious blow to the country’s recovery. The second-place candidate should replace him.

I would take this very seriously. Ask Macaca-man George Allen what can happen when “misspeaking”.

While I will admit I duidn’t pay much attention to the primary (I was more concerned about the Leftist and Hard-Leftist who control my congressional district), I would have voted for Steelman. But she came in third. If Akin withdraws, Brunner was the runner-up and I don’t think he could beat Claire Obama-McCaskill.

Did Akin put his foot in his mouth? Sure, so deep it saw daylight at the other end. Any worse that most of the Democr@p leadership? Not by a country mile.

WTF, it doesn’t matter what Dems do. What George Allen & Akin both have said is deeply offensive & voters react & remember. George Allen’s numbers plummeted 16 points after his slur. He is running again & good conservative that I am, I have to think long & hard about what kind of mind is behind the macaca comment.

Part of the problem is that the Tea Partiers are new at this & have not yet learned how to vet their candidates.

That was a spectacularly stupid thing to say, and I can only suppose that in the heat of the moment, he regurgitated some pseudo-biology someone else told him.

The only basis I can think of that remotely fits this is that rabbit does, if they are under stress (e.g. the warren is overcrowded, there isn’t enough food, etc.) can reabsorb the foetuses back into their body and end their pregnancies. But Congressman, human women aren’t rabbits.

I wouldn’t be inclined to nail his hide to the barn door, but he pretty much has killed his chances in this race and should step down.

I too wondered if he had confused women with rabbit does.

He needs to humbly mea culpa and get gone. Like yesterday.

Akin getting out:

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/08/akin-advisers-ready-for-candidate-to-withdraw-from-race-tuesday/

He is an object lesson for Christians in politics: innocent as doves is necessary, but so is wily as serpents. The man has been in Congress for 10 years. He should have been able to field the question effortlessly (example of how to do it) “Rape is a terrible crime and I wish we had the death penalty for convicted rapists. However, when a woman becomes pregnant as a result of rape another innocent victim is then present. We should treat both the mother and child with infinite compassion and care. The rapist deserves death and not the innocent child brought into the world by his crime.” You show through this answer both abhorrence of the crime and compassion for the two innocent victims.

I still stand by my comments above. He should apologize but stay in. But I will note this: this is exactly what the GOP does – they police their own.

“State Auditor Tom Schweich and Congressional candidate Ann Wagner are being mentioned as a replacement.”

So, what about Brunner & Steelman?

The object lesson here, I think, is the difference between making a stupid comment & an offensive one. Voters will forgive the one, but not the other.

I saw a report that an Akin aide says he’s staying in. I hope Donald R. McClarey’s link is correct.

I don’t see why they wouldn’t go with Brunner, but the law does say the party can make the choice, by Sept. 21.

unreconstructed, I never did understand the macaca comment, but I think this one is a lot worse, because intentionally stupid. George Allen, who knows what he meant? It’s not a common racial epithet. No question here.

Wagner’s running for Akin’s old seat so I doubt she’ll be available. Schweich is too much of a longshot. So I think it’ll either be Steelman or Brunner.

Katherine, Who knows what George really meant, but my kids’ generation found it deeply troubling. Also, Larry Sabato didn’t help matters by recounting George’s fondness for the n-word when a student.

But … why would anyone want to say that to another human-being? It did not sit well here in the Old Dominion.

With Akin and Ryan being joined at the hip with their voting records, I can see why y’all are worried.

That’s a stretch even for you, John.

Rep. Akin should end his candidacy immediately if not sooner. Let the GOP replace him with a candidate who will send the incumbent to a well-deserved re-election defeat.

Regarding George Allen and “macaca,” that was blown out of proportion by the Washington Post; even the paper’s ombudsman was critical of their coverage. Nonetheless, the remark likely cost Sen. Allen an election he should have handily won. He seems to have learned from his mistake, however, and is currently running even in the polls with former Gov. Tim Kaine, who left his successor a tremendous budget mess to clean up.

No, John. It is not about any voting record. It’s about human decency. Something I find sorely lacking amongst Democrats.

[Gotta go take my Ignore the Troll medicine.]

I don’t think this merits the amount of reaction it’s getting, but once the wheels of bad PR start in motion the momentum isn’t easily stopped. Akin should withdraw immediately. And once he’s out, he should highlight some of the deeds and misstatements of various Democrats over the years, and ask for answer an answer as to why they didn’t rate the same reaction from the liberals/left/Democrats. (And also point out that not even the GOP is backing him, unlike the Dems allowing such minor things as Ted Kennedy’s many “indiscretions” slide.

unreconstructed rebel.

I must have missed something. Where does “human decency” appear in Akin’s statement?

WaPo was appropriately sycophantic but not all that effective. That thing was all over YouTube like the swine flu.

I have taken my pills & can ignore in peace.

Getting rid of Claire the Obambi Lover is more important than Akin “hanging in there.”

He simply made a dumb mistake in language, but the government-controlled media is looking for anything to distract voters from the record of the Kenyan Communist and will beat this thing to death 24/7.

I even saw a post that said this might mean that Paul Ryan is “soft on rape.”

Yeah, I know, it’s all insane. But so is our culture right now.

He needs to go. Steelman or Ann Wagner would be good replacements and would do away with the anti-women meme.

Voters in the Show Me State shoulda listened to Sarah Palin.

I see some are proposing Danforth, or Ashcroft, or even Kit Bond. Why not just go to Independence and dig up Harry Truman and convert him to the Republican Party.

This is all like a painful boil – lance it and get on with things.

Where Akin may have drawn a long bow:

Fact: It is a fact that some women under great stress for whatever reason are known to spontanoeusly miscarry.

Thesis: Women who have been raped are under immense stress and more particulalry so if they find themsleves pregnant.

Generalization: Therefore, women who are under great stress becuase they have been raped and find themselves pregnat, will spontsnouesly miscarry. Therefore would not need an abortion but just let nature take its course.

A very stupid generalization indeed but no more stupid than the doctrine that a large proportion of women who have an unplanned pregnancy as a consequence of consensual sex ( i.e.after playing with fire and hoping not to get burned) will go psychologically bonkers for the rest of their lives because of the stress caused by their unplanned pregnancy and therefore they have a right to self preservation through abortion “because of the likely mental/physical damage” to the woman. This excuse is the most widespread “medical” justification for a termination.

One generalization is as stupid as the other as both have the most minimal medical justification.

Don, he didn’t just make a dumb mistake in language.

He made many mistakes, just one of which was an error of language, but even that one was not just “dumb” it was colossally idiotic.

The NRO editorial summarizes all the problems pretty well. He made at least three big mistakes. (1) Attempting to defend his position on the basis of frequency of rape pregnancy, rather than being ready with a principled moral defense. (2) Believing a bunch of pseudo-science that’s drifted around the fringes of the pro-life community, and repeating it without careful fact-checking. (3) Using the expression “legitimate rape”.

Any pro-life politician who cannot answer one of the most obvious questions about his position without making an ass of himself has no business being in politics and does the pro-life cause more harm than good.

And any man who speaks carelessly about rape in public is too stupid to be trusted to speak in public about anything.

My sympathies. We had a bruising runoff in the Repubican primary for senator and the weaker candidate won. There is no way a Democrat should win statewide office in Texas, but it could happen.

But John really is sounding desperate, isn’t he.

Mark

Query: Why are you lecturing me?

Call it a “mistake” in language, call it “idotic,” call it, call it “colossally idiotic,” call it “Gertrude,” if you will – I clearly stated that Akin has to go.

BTW – citing the present NRO as a credible source for anything is akin to saying Peace and Freedom Party Presidential candidate, Roseanne Barr, has “some pretty good ideas on things.”

I am so put in mind of Clayton Williams, the Republican candidate for governor in 1990 or so. He told the old joke about the weather being like rape: there is nothing to do but lie back and enjoy it. He stuck his foot into his mouth a couple of other times and we got Gov. Ann Richards. Had Williams not been a mouth (and a crook, to boot), he would have likely served two terms and G.W. Bush would have stayed in Arlington managing the Rangers.

Makes you wonder…

I have just begun to fight and I’m in this race to the end! We must work together to replace Claire McCaskill in the Senate.

Only cure for this line of thinking is a couple of years in the penalty box of unemployment. Good luck, Missouri.

It was a stupid thing for him to say. But I don’t think his “legitimate” reference was to what is often called “date rape” (though still rape) but to an often more violent rape, which, I believe, statistically, seldom results in a pregnancy. Extreme trauma & conception are not very compatible.
He may be living in the past, when (unreported) rape was often used as the excuse for abortion. Now, no excuse needed…it is a personal choice.
Years ago, many young girls got pregnant “the first time they had sex”! LOL

This guy is toast. As in stick a fork in him, he’s done. Chris is right, there are some things you can’t say and be forgiven for. That’s the nature of politics. And for the record I am staunchly pro-life but yes, I was offended by his ignorant comments.

After the last 24 hrs he could not get elected dog catcher in a county with a rabies epidemic. He needs to bow out, first for the good of the country, secondly for the good of the people of Missouri and lastly for the good of his party. Were he in any way a gentleman he would have already done this.

FW Ken,

The candidate you refer to losing, did himself out of the election by not stopping those ridiculous, stupid, mud-slinging advertisements put on in his behalf. Comments from many voters indicated the one with the crying mother swung their vote to the other candidate. I really don’t think he proved himself to be a better candidate with the ad business and his record in state government being not all that sterling with respect to conservative issues.

Now back to the main show. I hope Akin does man-up and drop out of the race. Hopefully the replacement will prove to be a person of good character who can put the Senate seat in conservative hands.

Harmless Idiot

I agree with your premise. By “legitimate rape” he probably was trying to say “real” or “forcible, non-consensual rape” rather than “rape” used as an excuse for abortion.

However, the government-controlled media will never allow this explanation to be made nor will the vast majority of dumbed-down voters understand it.

Regardless of that, he displayed a stupidity in making the statement and he cannot recover from it.

So, he needs to go. In his place, Steelman, Wagner or that Johnson fellow from Webster Groves. All would be good.

I know just the candidate to replace Akin:

Kinky Friedman. The leftists would take so much time trying to figure him out and illustrate his many rough spots that they’d have no time left to campaign for McCaskill.

(Actually, Tom Bodett would be another good candidate; he’s got a great voice and is good with figures…)

Billb -

I was disgusted with both candidates at the end and am not sure I would use the term “better” for either of them. I said Cruz is “weaker” because 1.) he has less political experience, 2.) he’s not part of the Republican establishment in Texas, and 3.) some of the mud slung will probably stick.

Normally, 1 and 2 can be pluses (I know confirmed Republicans who won’t admit to knowing anyone who voted for Rick Perry), but Cruz runs the same risk as Akins: when your own people turn on you, you are in trouble. Richard Nixon stood firm until the Republicans turned on him. 3 – the Dems have been given material to work with. If they don’t overplay their hand, as Dewhurst did, they might pull it off.

Bill (not IB)

Kinky Friedman? Anyone who can title a musical album, “Ride “Em, Jewboy” has my vote.

Tom Bodett would be OK (“We’ll leave the light on for ya”), but I lean more toward that great Missou-rah Confederate raider, William Quantril. Dig him up and have the first Zombie Senator from the Show Me State.

Cheers!

(1) No rape can be called “legitimate.” That is indefensible.

(2) Was Akin wrong in the rest of what he said? Everybody thinks he was, but do y’all have any data on the probability of conception resulting from a single act of rape compared to the probability of conception from a single act of consensual coitus? Akin probably repeated some old wives’ tale and thought it to be true. Do we have any actual data to declare him wrong?

JM,
I don’t see how there could be any reliable data. A difference between reported rape and reported pregnancies resulting from rape. I remember when there was a movement to make abortion legal if a rape was reported to police within 24 or 48 hours or so. It didn’t get very far. Since it is now legally a “choice” to kill a baby if it is “unborn” or “not quite born, I don’t see much much excuse to claim rape if it didn’t happen & I don’t think the police would take it seriously if they did’t test. My premise doesn’t make for popular TV, though, or pro-choice propaganda.

Don J,
If that Johnson decides to run, he’d better close down this blog PDQ.

JM, FWIW, a few years back I did some Internet research on the number of pregnancies resulting from rape. The rate seemed to be 3 to 5% (interestsingly enough, 97% of the mothers also chose to carry the child to term regardless of the availability of abortion or Plan B). From what I’ve read elsewhere of the chances of conceiving from a single consensual sexual act, the rate seems to be also much the same. Sorry I don’t have references, as I was researching to answer my own question to myself, and was not intending to ever share the results. In any case, Akin said a bloody stupid thing. Latest news tonight is that he is going to resign from the race tomorrow. Also, to all trolls passing through, try not to shoot the messenger, as I will not play target for you.

Harmless Idiot

Don J,
If that Johnson decides to run, he’d better close down this blog PDQ.

If Johnson throws his hat into the ring, he will start hitting us up for campaign contributions. I…uh…I am a little short this month, so…could you lend me…er…uh….

“Johnson for Senate – He’s Old, He’s Moving and He’s Ready!” Run, Chris, Run! Run, Chris, Run!

Maybe we can get a groundswell of support going. Grease on the palm tree would help, if you know what I mean. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Claire is really not popular around here so I’m not quite ready to write Akin off yet, AO. As long as Akin’s campaign literally has no more screw-ups from now until November.

Is that going to happen? Not putting any money on it.

If he was trying to counter the appeal to “how can you oppose abortion on the grounds of rape/incest?” with the facts that the vast majority of abortions are not for pregnancies as a result of rape/incest, he went completely the wrong way about it (“oh, if it was really rape, the woman would miscarry, so it’s not really rape”).

Pulling out of this race doesn’t mean leaving politics; there’s always another election further on. But giving things a chance to cool down, keeping his head down, and starting again in another, different campaign would be better: if he stays in and gets beaten, he would have the worst of both worlds.

Besides the biological question, and I tend to agree with SouthCoast, the incidence of pregnancy from rape or consensual sex is likely about the same, the comment as spoken sounds like, I think, Whoopi Goldberg, who said that what Roman Polanski did wasn’t “like, rape rape.” Sounding like Whoopi is not a good thing for anyone, much less a Republican.

What a jackass. So Missouri is going to be stuck with McCaskill and the Republican “War on Women” meme is alive and well.

Thanks, Todd Akin! You are a real prince!

FW Ken,

I took your original statement as that of a dyed-in-the-wool Dewhurst advocate. Thank you very much for the clarification. I don’t think Ted Cruz is inexperienced in “politics”, in general, since he was an appelate lawyer. He is just not steeped in party politics which you indicate is a pluse.

I think the Democrats will have a hard time trying to use the “mud” slung as it has left a nasty “taste” behind.

Additionally, my brother, who lives in South Florida, says that the first generation Americans of Cuban parents are some of the the most true conservatives you will find.

Chris, sorry for the off-topic.

Don,

Quantrill would have a slight problem – he’s still wanted on murder charges in Kansas – does Lawrence ring a bell? His “raids” in that state were nothing less than mass murder; they rode into towns unannounced and shot every adult male (and several teenagers on the younger side of 17). Saying “I expect no quarter, and I give none” doesn’t have much meaning when the guy you’re shouting it at is unarmed and already dead.

Jo Shelby would make a much better candidate.

I like the “Draft Johnson” idea.

My 2 cents (actual cash value). I hope he stays in and I hope he wins. Screw PC.

[...] whom Donald has labeled as Defender of the Faith, sums up my feelings on the Todd Akin affair both here and here. Darwin also has an eminently sensible take. Meanwhile, Akin continues to labor under the [...]

@ Harmless Idiot
August 21, 2012

While I take your point that in an era of abortion on demand, there seems little point to cry “rape” simply to justify an abortion, such a “false” claim still may serve to salve a guilty conscience and post facto regret and shame, to deflect parents’ or peer opprobrium, to protect an individual’s standing within a community, etc etc. Of course such a claim could at any stage justify the abortion of any ensuing pregnancy.

Every penal jurisdiction has records of substantial numbers of claims of “rape” and “assault” which are found to have been falsely made.

My point is that leaving an exception for the case of rape will increase such numbers of false claims. Abortion “on demand” came into play primarily because of the “exception” for the “psychological well being” of the mother (physical threat is much harder to establish or prove. Pregnancy now has become a “physical illness” and/or “a psychopathological condition” of the woman concerned regardless of the manner and circumstances of the conception.

On Jaco’s show, Akin had to know he was in the lion’s den. That he didn’t weigh, examine and calibrate every syllable is a testament to his lack of judgement.

LaValllette,

Pregnancy is catching though. I know…I caught it from my husband three times!
Was not physically ill, but did get to be a little bit psycho about 13 years later. That only lasted about 8 years, and I’ve been reasonably sane since. Not necessiserbily “reasonable”, but…
I think rape could cause lifelong trauma. My daughter was assaulted and robbed 6 or 7 years ago, & isn’t over it yet.
Women’s sexual morals went downhill fast with the introduction of the pill. Or maybe, we weren’t really “too good to”, but just “too scared to”