Akin Asks for ‘Forgiveness’ in New Ad
Betting that the GOP will be forced to support him later or that he won’t need party cash or the cash from super Pacs is a very bad bet. The party cannot ride to the rescue later in the campaign after having hopefully lanced the Akin boil in the first place and inoculated the top of the ticket against the toxicity of his comments. The Obama campaign’s mantra of a GOP “War on Women” wasn’t gaining much traction until Akin’s ignorant comments — which have been supported by some prominent social conservative groups.
The entire party is in danger of being dragged down because Akin and his allies among social conservatives only see a single issue — abortion — in the candidate’s words. In fact, his musings about a woman’s body magically rejecting a rapist’s sperm play to the notion of Republicans being anti-science. His ill-informed statement about “legitimate” rape angered not only women, but every father in America with a daughter. His ignorance about incidents of rape not resulting in pregnancies revealed the candidate to be shockingly unfit to serve.
The issue isn’t abortion; the issue is whether Mr. Akin and his social-conservative allies will become living symbols of every nasty thing the Democrats say about Republicans. It’s a slam dunk, no brainer, sure thing that Democrats and the Obama campaign will seek to wrap Akin’s words around the necks of every GOP candidate, including the top of the ticket, if he stays in the race.
Public Policy Polling released a survey this morning showing that Akin’s formerly formidable lead has been cut to 44-43%. Less than a fortnight ago, Survey USA put his lead at 11 points over McCaskill. PPP also sampled voters on Akin’s comments:
It’s not that Missouri voters are ok with or supportive of Akin’s comments. 75% of voters, including even 64% of Republicans, say they were inappropriate to only 9% who consider them to have been appropriate. 79% of voters say they disagree with what Akin said, including 65% who express ‘strong’ disagreement with him. 51% of GOP voters say they strongly disagree with him.
All of that is taking a toll on Akin’s image. Only 24% of voters have a favorable opinion of him to 58% with a negative one. He’s pretty universally disliked by Democrats (3/85) and independents (21/61) and even with Republicans (43/34) he’s on only narrowly positive ground.
The controversy won’t blow over. The Democrats won’t let it. Better for Akin to drop out now rather than have the entire party spend the next three months trying to explain they don’t agree with him.
Also read:
Drop out. There are some statements that you just can’t walk back from.
A local DEMOCRAT in Minnesota, 56 years old Kerry Gauthier, recently got caught having sex with a 17 year old CHILD …
He’s not leaving office. He’s not resigning.
He will finish his term, and since he was elected with 70% of the vote, may stay in the next race if it all blows over.
Find me, please, the outrage over this “legitimate” CHILD RAPE by a DEMOCRAT, that is of the same tone and volume as the sort of hysterics caused by mere WORDS concerning rape, by a REPUBLICAN.
Stop playing their game.
Call them out on their double standards.
This time, and EVERY time, no exceptions.
So what do you suggest, one side be ignored if the other (in your opinion) is not being “called out” enough? Yes, it would be best that everyone be held accountable. The sad lack of that does not mean others should be allowed to get away with obvious displays or stupidity.
The difference is the Dem is in office. He decides whether he stays in office or not. The voters will decide in his next election.
Akin is not in office, he needs to get in first before he makes stupid statements and do stupid things. He can decide to stay in the election. The voters will decide to vote him in office or not.
See the difference?
Double standards or not, do you really want to be represented by stupid people? Let the Dems have their stupid politicians, we should have politicians who know what they are doing.
Time for him to go. He is a lost cause.
http://uselections2012blog.blogspot.ca/
Back away from what? The republican party want Akin gone because he let the truth slip. Its not because they disagree with him, far from it. He spoke the truth.
He said EXACTLY what most of the GOP think and feel. Paul Ryan and Akin wanted to narrow the definition of forcible rape (H.R. 3). With 200+ cosponsors from the republican party. This is mainstream thinking to these guys. It’s not about using the wrong word or an awkward sentence structure. It is the 2 underlying ideas: First, the concept that a woman cannot be impregnated against her will. And second, that conception by rape is too “rare” to worry about protecting the womens’ rights, especially if she might be a sneaky liar.
To act like Akin is an outsider is to completely misunderstand what the current GOP stand for.
DROP OUT NOW…we loose the senate because of you….BENEDICTS ARNOLD AKIN….dumbest jackass in the country!!!!!
GET OUT
Ever wonder why Tea Partiers claim the Republican Party is fully infiltrated by Progressives? Have you?
Read the comments here. The proof is right before your eyes.
I’ve been a participant in the Tea Party since the beginning. I despise what Mr. Akin said, and obviously believes. To force a woman to carry a pregnancy conceived in rape is highly offensive and immoral. For years, I have supported the pro-life position, but, I totally repudiate Mr. Akins offenssive remarks, I reject his “apology” which does not acknowledge the right of a woman to abort a fetus conceived in rape, and I reject the “pro-life” groups,who support that evil position.
For crying out loud, he needs to drop out. Now.
If he had said something mean-spirited out of anger, an apology would be justified – but you can’t be sorry for stupid. And his statement displayed profound stupidity and ignorance…way below the standards we should accept for a public official, room-temperature IQ idiots like Nanzi Pelosi and Harry Reid notwithstanding.
We had better not lose the Senate and/or the White House because this uninformed half-wit socon insisted on staying in the race.
He must be receiving positive messages from the 20 other biology challenged loons that think women can fend off rape sperm. This whole thing makes me so angry. It makes it hard to defend being a conservative. It paints us all with the crazy nutcase brush. Why can’t someone big and powerful fly in and meet with him personally? Why can’t he see what he will do to the PRESIDENTIAL TICKET??? They are already trying to infer that Paul Ryan thinks the same thing!!
Why can’t someone big and powerful fly in and meet with him personally?
And make him an offer he can’t refuse?
… like get the hell out, or else…
“They are already trying to infer that Paul Ryan thinks the same thing!!”
Ryan does think the same thing!! Ryan co-sponsored H.R. 3, which narrowed the definition of rape in order to distinguish between the sluts who lie about rape (illegitimate) and just want a convenience abortion from the “legitimate” good girls. These views are also part of the republican party platform. All Akin did was give an inartful voice to what the party actually believes but won’t say. Well, he did say it and you can’t put the genie back into the bottle.
This is what happens when the GOP puts these issues front and center of their platform. The only issues they should be discussing are jobs/economy and foreign policy issues. Getting sucked into the social issues trap is only going to lead to failure. American women are not going to support candidates who will force them to carry their rapist’s children to term.
Legal abortion is here to stay. If people want to work to change hearts and minds, that’s great, but going the political route is suicide for those candidates who do.
Once again, I’m looking at an election in which I cannot stomach the idea of either candidate. I could take Romney, but Ryan with his forced-rape-baby rhetoric? Nope.
As unreasonable as Ryan’s stand on the issue may be, what are the chances that the policy he supports would come to fruition? Absolutely nil. Reproductive rights for women are here to stay & there is no need to sweat over that. I am far more concerned about leaving the reins of power in far leftist hands than allowing a few pols with fascitic approaches to the social issues to slip into office, where they can do the badly needed work to help get the country back on track. Don’t lose sight of the forest for a few trees. It’s not worth it.
Mr. Akin has a problem. He wants us to believe that he “misspoke”, that he was “inarticulate” but like Obama’s “you didn’t build that” his statement comes across as a gaffe. As we all know, a gaffe is when a politician tells what they really believe. The more he tries to walk back his statement the “gaffier” it becomes.
He’s unfit for office… not because of his beliefs on abortion but because he’s so fundamentally stupid as to not recognize the yawning abyss of the trap the media laid for him. In the future people will say “he’s not just dumb, he’s Akin dumb”.
Akin.
Please…don’t go away mad, just…go away.
Preferably before 5:00 PM today after which we’ll be stuck with you as an albatross around our necks by the media whether we agreed with you or not!
He actually thinks his remarks are forgivable. He actually thinks that if he just stays in long enough-digs in his heels like a *&^%$ Missouri mule, that people will seem him as an embattled champion of conservative values , and give him their vote. He thinks it’s just a matter of finding the right words, and then this whole thing will blow over. Stubborn, selfish, ignorant, arrogant man.
If the Republicans don’t find a way to get this fool off the ballot and replace him with a sane, reasonably bright (wo)man for whom a self respecting Missourian can vote, then not only will McCaskill be re elected, but our chance at getting back the Senate and possibly the White House , will be reduced if not destroyed.
He needs to go-YESTERDAY!
I’m just as angry about Akin’s words as you are but what are the odds that a different Republican candidate could hope to beat McAskill at this stage of the game?
I vaguely recall other cases where a candidate dropped off the ticket late in the race – due to his/her death or having been pressured off over some incident like this – and I can’t recall a single case where the “replacement” candidate actually won. Am I forgetting cases where such a thing DID happen?
Perhaps we all need to bite the bullet and hope that Akins is right and that his constituents will forgive this before they cast their votes rather than give up a (formerly) easy win in a pivotal state….
“I can’t recall a single case where the “replacement” candidate actually won.” Fossilized Lautenburg replacing totally corrupt Torricelli in NJ. Sonny Bono’s widow in California, another widow whose hubby died in a plane crash in the middle of a campaign…
Do you recall a single case where a politician who has displayed such stupidity actually won?
More important, should he win? Should he be one of those mightier than thou politicians to lord over us? We are talking about six years of office, not two; one of a hundred, not of over 500.
Do you recall a single case where a politician who has displayed such stupidity actually won?
Ted Kennedy – killed a woman and said many stupid things, was reelected multiple times.
Joe Biden – reelected multiple times despite being dumber than a doorknob.
Nancy Pelosi – need I say more?
Harry Reid – corrupt and stupid yet reelected many times
Many other Democrats say stupid things all the time and get elected/reeelected.
Dan Quayle wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but he got elected.
There are more.
This moron bids fair to cost the Republicans control of the Senate. Claire McCaskill is of all the vulnerable Dem the one that really nees to lose her job. The Mastream Media guys have Akins comment running on an enless loop. They’ll run it as long as he’s in the race. Catch a clue guys. Get him out That ridiculous combover should have been a tipoff.
I call BS! If taking the senate comes down to ONE guy we are in worse shape than you can possibly understand.
50-50 + Ryan makes a majority.
Losing one will be 51-49, a minority as useful as the current Senate. We have 45(?)now, what are the chances of us not losing one single seat, and gain five more, more than 10% gain?
Yes, we are in a pretty bad shape.
OK Mr Akin, we forgive you. But please, if you have ANY regard for the future of this country, leave now! You can’t walk this back, you don’t have the media in your pocket, and you’re jeopardizing the chances of everyone else in the party.
PS. Missouri has many excellent high schools. You might want to re-take biology at one of them.
Yes. i was going to post the same thing. We forgive you, but please disappear, now.
And please give six months of your wonderful life to a center for the assistance of victims of rape. You will grow up wiser.
Not only that, but I consider it kind of a cynical appeal to our Christianity or humanity. “If you’re a good person you’ll let me stay in the race.”
Yeah, how dare he ask other human beings to treat him the way they’d want to be treated. What a tool.
Actually, this could be an opportunity. No one will take it, of course, as they do not still get it that the media and its doublestandards and the liberal mono-culture are things to be also ran on, not just the opponent, perhaps more so than the opponent, but it is in fact an opportunity if done in the right way.
Amplification: I assime Akin would lose, and that collateral would be taken–but what I postulate is that if done correctly the effort would not be cost-free to the media and could be, not fatal per se, but the erosion of legitimacy not to be regained. TANSTAAFL.
assume, not assime. Apologies.
Read the drudge headlines and you’ll see that the dems spent $1.5M to make him the opposition to their candidate. This indicates that they knew he was unfit to start with and was the one candidate they could beat.
And rightfully so. There’s no room for his stupidity in concentrating on culture warrior issues *at all.* What clearly needs to be addressed is energy policy and foreign policy (which leads to jobs; energy = wealth) and spending *any* time on culture warrior nonsense says that he’s trying to be senator for all the wrong reasons.
????
Stupid much?
The Democrats paid to get Todd Akin elected 6 times in my district? Really?
I’ve spoken to the man, personally. He rattled off 18 founding fathers (and why they’re founders) right off the top of his head.
The man understands history (even if he fails on biology). He understands the Constitution. He’s one of the few Republicans who’ve voted against the Debt Limit increase, and against NDAA.
You think he’s a Democrat plant? How frigging STUPID are you?
One assumes you can read even if you can’t operate a search engine.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/democrats-spent-1.5-mil-to-help-akin-win-gop-primary/article/2505373
Yep. Uber Christians don’t ever have to be team players so long as they swear to us they are on a unique divine mission. Great ministry and witness, fella. You can look at him and tell he’s not very smart. There’s a glaze in the eyes.
Can we get a Murkowski?
Steelman?
– and you are not forgiven. Forgiveness does not exist in America anymore.
Of course he is forgiven, but please step aside, so we don’t all go down the drain with him.
Forgiveness doesn’t really seem relevant/applicable to making a dumb comment.
Forgiveness has nothing to do with this…people who are directly damaged by his insane remarks are free to forgive or not.
His decision regarding whether or not he’s going to drop out has nothing to do with forgiveness and everything to do with his fitness for office and his impact on the Republican Party. Forgiven or otherwise, he remains unfit. It’s time for him to go away.
This guy needs to go. If he won’t drop out, the GOP and Romney need to support a third-party candidate, or support a write-in campaign for someone who’s not stuck on stupid.
Instead of apologizing for saying something incorrectly in a hurtful way, he should just explain EXACTLY what WAS trying to say. Does he believe that a woman who is subjected to sexual intercourse against her will cannot get pregnant? Does he believe the corollary, that pregnancy is proof that a rape victim actually “wanted it?” I wouldn’t be prepared to ditch the guy for making a tactical error. I would be prepared to ditch him for using medieval nonsense to support his opinions on abortion.
You ditch him because he’s a culture warrior and what’s needed is serious work on jobs and the economy.
He is not a culture warrior. He should have said, rape or not, the baby was an innocent life that should not be disposed of like a piece of garbage. The life is “legitimate”, the rape is not.
He is too stupid to see the difference. How the hell do you think he knows how to fix the economy? If he were applying for a private sector job, his resume would be in the garbage can already.
dude.
Any candidate using an Obama policy as a mechanism to yammer about abortion beliefs is a culture warrior and unfit to be elected. The SCOTUS settled the question in 1973, and that’s that.
Any and all talk re abortion and belief is doomed to failure and rightfully so. Technology is such that at any time any middle class female can hop a plane and easily fly somewhere where procedures are legal, meaning that even if the culture warriors were to somehow “win” it’s pyhrric by definition. There is no practical winning hand for the anti-abortion squad; all that this does is waste bandwidth, distract from meaningful discussion, and worse, takes away the positives GOP candidates have.
As such any culture warrior type is unfit to hold office, being demonstrably too stupid to pay attention to the issues of consequence to MOST people.
Legitimate implies illegitimate. Under what rape circumstances is a baby conceived via rape illegitimate? When the girl isn’t a virgin or isn’t religious enough, a la Bill Napoli…?
This guy needs to go. Now. Period. There is no excusing or explaining away the mindset behind his words.
Yeah, that too. I’m sure it’s possible for a politician to be a culture warrior AND deal with economic issues, but I expect him to have his priorities straight. At the moment, the culture wars are not an emergency – the economy definitely is.
He needs to bring Whoopi (of The View) to explain the differences in rape, rape-rape and legitimate rape. That’ll clear the air for sure.
Whoopi is not running for office. We can turn her off and ignore her. We, as taxpayers, are paying for our senators. They make laws that we cannot ignore. We are “investing” in something for a negative return. That is why we are on our way to bankruptcy.
Abortion is a dog whistles for women. The left blows it and many women come running. It’s good that Akin didn’t cower to the Republican wuss mob. I think I’m going to send him some money.
This has nothing to do with abortion. It has to do with what his words reveal about his view of women in general. A man who frames his views the way he did is a man who has boundary issues when it comes to women.
Exactly.
Thank you.
Yup. If you want to have an intelligent discussion about abortion, you don’t start it with a stupid (and irrelevant) crackpot theory about something you don’t understand.
His comment contributes nothing to the abortion debate, and really nothing to any debate.
It’s apparent you don’t see the insulting implications of what Akin said, which include the notion that for the most part, when women claim to be raped, it’s not real rape. Rape does not denote something that can be parsed; rape is rape. Period. It’s an act of violence; it is assault. The fact that such a simple concept is elusive to Akin speaks volumes about his intelligence & the nature of his character. His statement is reflective of a narrow-minded, ignorant misogynist. I applaud the Republican party’s efforts to expunge him from its ranks. He should meld into the realm of obscurity post haste.
“I applaud the Republican party’s efforts to expunge him from its ranks. He should meld into the realm of obscurity post haste.”
And I must admit it *is* an act other parties cannot make an easy claim on.
A fellow human traveler, I forgive him, for one.
However, there’s another step (two)involved here, called “accountability” and he has to set the example before a watching world; some of whom would do well to follow in his steps, but won’t: Bill and Hillary Clinton come to mind.
Since there’s no way to recover Atkin’s repugnant words, it seems best that he step down from pursuing public office, and get a job.
Akin, get out of the race! You will never fool anyone by trying to pretend you misspoke. You had to be speaking from your own beliefs to have even made up something that stupid. Either you are too stupid or you actually think most people in Missouri believe what you said. Both are guaranteed losing formulas even against an idiot like McCaskill. Which is it? The only thing that matters is getting these welfare state Democrats out of Washington before it is too late and you have already cooked your chance to do that in the Missouri Senate race. I think you are a Democrat Party plant, or else you would defer to someone else who might have at least a fighting chance to defeat McCaskill. You have lost. Face it. The sane world has. Politically, you are looking like Anthony Weiner on this. ABO2012
I like this guy ,hes not a quitter and a phony and a flake like the Repubocrats !
These same worthless Republicans would never call to impeach Obama who has done more damage to this country than Akin.
This has nothing to do with forgiveness. I wonder if he knows or cares how many women have remained silent about rape for the very reason they fear it will not be judged as actual rape. This topic hits way too close to home for far too many women. If this man had any sense of decency he would have left the race at once. If his staying is considered necessary to take back the Senate, Heaven help us.
I wonder how many posting here are demoncrat operatives fanning the flames ?
Wow! How ironic that in your response you proved my point so precisely. You make a judgement about my political views, no doubt smugly satisfied that you are right. And it is people like you who keep women silent about rape. They know that it may be people like you, who stand in judgement of their ordeal and judge what is legitimate rape.
For the record, I have an R on my voters card, despite the people of your ilk that defend Akin. I believe in limited government.
So we should stand up for our SOBs?
Let the Democrats protect their SOBs, we don’t need any.
Come to think of it, even the Dems don’t protect their SOBs. Remember that Weiner thing?
NONE.
What you seem to not be able to grasp that the majority of republican voters are socially moderate. The echo chambers (e.g. this place) are full of the rabid frothing at the mouth idealogues who *seem* to represent a majority opinion due to the lack of moderate participation. In almost any thread the bible thumpers and teabagger wierdos natter about stuff important to them, not the majority of republicans, and *certainly* not representative of the majority of the electorate.
Maybe you can’t do math. The country is split roughly 50/50, so to win, you have to appeal to a few percent of the 50 that aren’t on your team. Listen to the commenters here; they advocate policy etc that is of interest to their minority. What they advocate is that which makes Palin supporters wet themselves and turns off 80% of the voters. The object isn’t to make the minority happy, it’s to win majorities and elections. That means you have to deal with the moderates. It is they who decide elections.
@rando Don’t know whether to be insulted or other. Know I am southern female
older than dirt. However, read something offensive in your comment. If you folks have not figured it out yet, we are all living in a dream world and watching our country spiraling with the last few drops down the drain. Have been saying this for several years now. Oh, by the way KISS IT RHINOS. Dump
them Senate and House. Playing footsie across the aisle ain’t working for me.
PJM rules!!! Smartest commenters on the NET.
Sorry. Did not mean to insult the noble Rhino. Meant to type RINO as in J. McCain. Oh, title is Akin asks for “Forgiveness”. Dumb A** not happening.
Monies spent on him for his campaign went down the toilet.
Lots of them, Marcel! Plenty of names I’ve never seen before. Only thing is, this time most of us seem to agree with them. Some are offended by the moral implications of what he said. Others are just disgusted that an elected official could be so damn ignorant. Either way, he’s not too popular right now. Sorry.
Makes me wonder, though – how many of our other representatives embrace crackpot theories like this?
Thank you, 4R&R.
Post-Akin, I propose a Sir Bedevere litmus test for all GOP candidates; just demonstrate a basic understanding and acceptance of general post-Enlightenment scientific knowledge.
“This new learning amazes me Sir Bedevere. Explain again how sheep’s bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes.”
Going forward, we really need to do a better job of weeding out candidates inclined to go on television and spew medievalism all over themselves and the rest of the party.
http://senatorjohnblutarsky.blogspot.com/2012/08/post-akin-lets-have-sir-bedevere-litmus.html
Yes! I love this comment
Here here Senator Blutarsky.
Don’t want to get off subject here. Sheeps bladders and other thin animal parts were used as condoms in primative times. I am laughing MAO. Rape and animal bladders!!?? Akin go home and all that gave him money and supported him. Watch out for Clair Mc. Her brother got stem money on fake energy business. Don’t know who we are putting in DC but they are loaded with lots of nuts and very few bolts.
Watch this country fail. This is the country that elected BHO!!!
Various newspapers are making the claim that Todd Akin was “Tea Party”. NO! Akin was never Tea Party. Akin beat the tea party candidate and the one endorsed by Sarah Palin, Sarah Steelman in the primaries.
It seems Claire McCaskill was hoping Akin would be her opponent, hoping he would implode. Sadly, he did — far too early for her, as the GOP seems to be taking measures to get another candidate in Akin’s place. I hope the GOP swiftly finds a replacement — the race and its important to the country is such a priority we need someone in there who knows how to handle the stress.
What’s the truth about him being backed by $1.5 million dollars of the oppositions money?
He is too stubborn or stupid (or both) to quit, so he shoud be removed, a la Lautenberg…. The precedent is set, use it.
The truth is that the democrats knew that this idiot would never keep his trap shut and once the voters knew what a vile POS he really is, nun raping democrats or popsicle sticks would get more votes. So what they did is pumped money into the primary campaign of the one guy they knew they could stomp.
Pretty clever, actually. Machiavelli would approve.
Quite right. But it gets worse. The whole thing is a trap for every party candidate. They are each, in their own context, going to be questioned about the issue of abortion in the case of rape victims. They had each better have a good answer ready. If we think there’s a gender gap now, watch what happens when you tell our wives and daughters that they have to carry a rapist’s child to term.
Not sure why you view the asking of a legitimate question a “trap.” The question is really pretty simple: “What part of forcing a rape victim to bear the progeny of her rapist corresponds to the notion of family values?”
After that we can get into a discussion as to why the republican party feels it can make healthcare decisions for women better than the women themselves.
I look forward to that debate.
The trap isn’t in the, admittedly, quite reasonable question. The trap is in turning the discussion to social issues, when the nation’s problems are mainly economic. As pointed out by ‘randomengineer’ in an earlier post, any woman can get on a plane and fly someplace where abortions are legal. There’s nothing much the government can do about it unless they want to proscribe all foreign travel. So the ‘culture warriors’ hold a losing hand. In that sense, the issue is a red herring. But it despite being a herring, it may be a wedge issue if handled poorly by a candidate.
And the correct answer is:
It’s the economy stupid.
Mr. Akin has already lost the election. If he cannot see that, then he is in an advanced state of denial. When failure to apprehend reality starts causing one to behave in a self-destructive way, the term for that is schizophrenia. If the gentleman won’t stand down, the party needs to find a way to stand him down. We have quite enough Senators in DC right now who are out of touch with reality. We don’t need another one who is clearly living in a dream of some kind.
So you can divine the future? Me, I will wait until the ballots are counted.
The View’s Whoopi Goldberg on Polanski ‘It Wasn’t Rape Rape’
Wahoo! Confused libs? All over news media with the outrage for
Akin.speech. Check out Whoopi and Libs view of rape. Smoke screen folks,
just a tool for Dems and Libs to use up air not to address issues which are real. Right back at’cha guys.
I forgive him.
He can withdraw now.
He can stop being a candidate, too.
Now.
No means no.