According to a new PPP poll, Todd Akin's remarks about "legitimate rape" haven't cost him the lead in the Missouri U.S. Senate race. He's still ahead of Democrat incumbent Claire McCaskill.
From The Ticket, Yahoo! News:
A poll conducted and released on Monday found that U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, who's under fire for his comments about "legitimate rape," still has an edge over Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill in Missouri's Senate race.
Public Policy Polling, a North Carolina-based Democratic polling firm, has Akin leading McCaskill by one point, 44 percent to 43 percent. That's not much different from PPP's last poll of the race, which also found Akin ahead by one point, 45 percent to 44 percent.
But Akin's sustained lead doesn't mean Missouri voters agree with what the Republican candidate said. The poll found that 75 percent say Akin's comments were inappropriate, and 79 percent say they disagree with them.
In releasing the results, PPP concluded that "GOP voters dislike McCaskill so much they're not going to vote for her no matter what their nominee does."
"This looks like it will be a closely contested race if Akin stays in," PPP President Dean Debnam said in a statement that came with the poll results.
Akin said something really stupid. He has apologized.
Is it enough? Should Akin drop out?
Many Republicans and conservatives are calling for Akin to step aside.
Ann Coulter writes:
I won’t hate Todd Akin officially unless he refuses to withdraw from the Missouri Senate race. If he does withdraw, honorably sacrificing his personal interests to save the country, it will be time for all good men to rally around Akin as an American patriot.
Akin was one of nine GOP candidates in the primary to challenge Missouri’s left-wing, tax-cheat sitting Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill. McCaskill is Chuck Schumer in a dress. Totally out of step with the good voters of Missouri, her seat should be an easy win for Republicans this year.
Curiously, Democrats ferociously supported Akin in the GOP primary. McCaskill’s supporters spent $2 million to make Akin her opponent and also crossed over to vote for Akin in the Republican primary – and that’s been admitted in The New York Times.
Now we know why. The rape comment was a totally unforced error on a day that should have been a smashing triumph for the Romney-Ryan ticket.
Akin wasn’t asked some out of the blue question no Republican candidate has ever been asked: He was asked the most jejune, obvious question every Republican is asked in any race for any office. How can a Republican not have an answer for: “What about abortion in the case of rape and incest?”
The point I believe Akin was ultimately driving at was that this is a teeny-tiny percentage of all abortions, so why are we spending all our time taking about it? How about saying: “Yes, it’s still a life, but more people are killed in drive-by shootings in Chicago every year. You give us the 2 million abortions that aren’t a result of rape and incest and we’ll give you the few thousand that are.”
Instead, Akin rambled about “legitimate rape” – violating an ironclad rule of politicians that the word “legitimate” should never appear within 15 yards of the word “rape.” And he talked about the medical possibility of becoming pregnant from a single traumatizing rape.
This is no time for another foot-in-the-mouth, Trent Lott Republican to be dominating the national political discussion. The country is at stake.
On InTrade, Akin was winning by 75 percent before his “legitimate rape” comment. Afterwards, he was trading at 45 percent. McCaskill’s seat went from an easy win for the Republicans to a certain loss.
Not only that, but Akin’s staying in the race will surely have a spillover effect in other races – even the GOP’s presidential ticket. Mark Foley’s creepy emails to congressional interns cost us the House of Representatives in 2006 – and Foley resigned as soon as they emerged.
...That’s how important a single Senate seat can be.
...If Akin truly loves his country and genuinely wants Roe v. Wade overturned, he will step aside and allow another Republican to run in his place. If he is a narcissist who cares more about himself than millions of unborn babies and Obamacare being repealed, he will not.
This is why the great Christian, successful businessman and Tea Party-favorite, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, has called on Todd Akin to withdraw. This is not the establishment bullying a brave conservative. This is conservative patriots who fear for the nation’s future asking a recently-chosen Republican candidate who has mortally wounded his own campaign to step aside for the good of the country.
Republicans could still win this seat, especially by replacing Akin with Sarah Steelman, the Sarah Palin-endorsed candidate who came in a very close third in the primary. Right now, any of the other primary candidates would be a better bet than Akin. But an attractive, pro-life, Palin-endorsed Republican woman is a shoe-in to beat McCaskill. Especially after this.
I'm not sure Akin has mortally wounded his own campaign, but there's no question that he's critically wounded it.
Can he get beyond this mess? Do the people of Missouri accept his apology and still want to send him to the Senate?
I'm sure there are many in Missouri who don't want to abandon their candidate, but they have to consider the ramifications for the country if they continue to support Akin, keep him, and end up losing to McCaskill.
That would be a disaster.
I admire Ron Johnson for keeping his focus on the main goal of this election - taking back the Senate.
No one, including Akin, should be putting self ahead of country.
No comments:
Post a Comment