The Other McCain

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Report: Republican Todd Akin Will Withdraw From Missouri Senate Race

Posted on | August 20, 2012 | 104 Comments

Ace of Spades reports that both Erick Erickson and Richard Grinnell are saying on Twitter that Akin will exit the campaign.

The furor over Akin’s remarks about “legitimate rape” — as Michelle Malkin calls it, “The Todd Akin Mess” — currently accounts for the top 23 threads on Memeorandum.

UPDATE: This horrible botch can be blamed squarely on the Missouri GOP Establishment, which lined up behind Akin against Tea Party-backed — and Sarah Palin-endorsed — candidate Sarah Steelman in the primary two weeks ago.

Mike Rathbone at Hot Air: “Hey, I Voted for Steelman.” More than 60 percent of Missouri GOP  primary voters voted for either Steelman or businessman John Brunner.

UPDATE II: National Review is calling for Akin to “step aside” and the terrible thing, from a Republican standpoint, is how unnecessary this disaster was. It was an unforced error in an easily winnable race against an unpopular Democrat incumbent, and it was caused by the predictably timid Republican impulse to back the “safe” candidate who, as in so many previous instances, proved to be not really safe after all.

Damn.

I can tolerate a lot of things in politics, but I despise incompetence.

UPDATE III: Aside from biological nonsense — claiming women can’t get pregnant as a result of rape — Akin’s fundamental problem is that he was arguing the wrong point.

Whenever supporters of abortion start throwing up arguments based on exceptions, the proper response is to point out that well over 90 percent of abortions have nothing whatsoever to do with such exceptions, but are strictly a matter of choice: post-conception birth control. And the pre-Roe history demonstrated that permitting abortion under specific exceptions resulted in those exceptions being abused. The rape exception resulted in false accusations of rape, and the “health” exception resulted in doctors fictionalizing health risks, including false determinations of mental health risks.

If we can ever come to a consensus as a society that abortion is a homicidal act that ought to be against the law, then we might start having a productive conversation about ending it. However, so long as we have “respectable” people who advocate abortion as a good thing — indeed, as a pseudo-sacred constitutional “right” — no meaningful discussion is possible.

The “respectable” people who advocate abortion are paid for their advocacy, and have an articulate elite to echo their viewpoint, while those who speak on behalf of the sanctity of life — well, we’ve got dumbass Republicans like Todd Akin, you see.

UPDATE IV: Some blowback in the comments, and understandable confusion: OK, Akin is one of the “good guys,” granted — but this isn’t about moral virtue or ideological purity, it’s about winning a Senate election in Missouri.

Nor is this a matter of what my opinion is about what should happen. I’m trying to discern what will happen. Having covered a few elections (and a few gaffes) in my time, I’m telling you  (a) Akin’s error is likely beyond recovery at this point, and (b) the same GOP impulse toward “safety” that helped Akin win the primary will likely now result in his being forced out of the race.

Crossroads GPS just pulled its ads out of the Missouri Senate race. Wake up and smell the Karl Rove.

UPDATE V: Ace updates with the Hannity interview and also Ann Coulter calling for Akin to quit. It is what it is: Beyond recovery.

Category: Abortion, Election 2012, Missouri, Senate

Comments

104 Responses to “Report: Republican Todd Akin Will Withdraw From Missouri Senate Race”

  1. Shawn Gillogly
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:17 pm

    I live in MO, and it was absolutely the GOP Establishment’s fault. The Blunt Dynasty and their cronies lined up behind him and presented him as ‘the one.’

    Steelman was the Tea Party candidate. Brunner ran with his own money and no insider support. So yes, this is a kick in the nads to the Karl Rove theory that the “smart insiders” pick the best guy. They don’t. They pick THEIR guy.

  2. Shawn Gillogly
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:20 pm

    Akin had Blunt and the Establishment behind him. The Tea Party mostly went with Steelman or Brunner. But it was split between them because on most positions, they were functionally the same.

  3. BruceC
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:20 pm

    So if the loser in a primary cannot run in the general, does that preclude Brunner or Steelman from being named as replacments?

  4. Shawn Gillogly
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:21 pm

    The word is they’ll bring back Boyd or Talent. Other good-old boys of the GOP Establishment.

  5. Shawn Gillogly
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:21 pm

    They aren’t being considered.

  6. Eric Dondero
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:52 pm

    THERE IS A LIBERTARIAN PARTY CANDIDATE IN THIS RACE!!!! (Screaming that the computer, cause nobody has caught on). The guy’s name is Jonahan Dine. Good looking, young kid, Rand Paulish, quite credible, well spoken. If Akin doesn’t quite, very easy solution: ALL TEA PARTYERS AND LIBERTARIAN REPUBLICANS SIMPLY SWITCH TO THE LIBERTARIAN! Anyone here remember the Tom DeLay fiasco in 2006? Cost us a House seat for a cylce, cause the stubborn ass local GOP would not back Libertarian Bob Smither who was on the ballot, after DeLay dropped out too late to get a Republican replacement?

  7. Eric Dondero
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:53 pm

    The GOP does not have to support McCaskill. The GOP can back Libertarian Jonathan Dine. He’s already polling 5% in one poll.

  8. Eric Dondero
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:55 pm

    And in the State of Missouri, America’s Third Party – THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY – has ballot access. They are running a candidate Jonathan Dine. If Akin does not step aside, simply solution for Republicans, BACK THE LIBERTARIAN IN THE RACE.

  9. Eric Dondero
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:56 pm

    No, dump him in favor of the Libertarian on the ballot.

  10. Eric Dondero
    August 20th, 2012 @ 8:59 pm

    Charles!!!! No, No, No, No, No!!!!! Disaster. We tried that in 2006 for the Tom DeLay seat. After DeLay dropped out, no time for a replacement, so the Harris and Ft. Bend County GOP’s backed a stupid-ass write-in candidate instead of backing Libertarian Bob Smither, a local hero for victim’s rights, (his daughter was brutally murdered), they backed Shelly whatshername. We lost the seat for an election cycle.
    Here’s the kicker, BOB SMITHER PLEDGED TO CAUCUS WITH THE GOP IF HE WON THE ELECTION.
    Thankfully, we won the seat back in ’08 – Pete Olson.

  11. smokedaddy
    August 20th, 2012 @ 9:10 pm

    This has been bugging me no end. If you watch the tape,, he says that pregnancy from legit rape is fairly rare, and explicitly acknowledges that itl does happen and then goes on to give a perfectly defensible answer. Stupid to get sucked in to the whole thing – YES, Wrong- No,

  12. Eric Dondero
    August 20th, 2012 @ 9:16 pm

    Just chec`ked the polling. Latest poll had Libertarian Jonathan Dine at 5%. Pretty good for an underfunded Libertarian candidate. If Akin doesn’t drop out simple solution, back the Libertarian!

  13. Beto_Ochoa
    August 20th, 2012 @ 9:41 pm

    He probably got his facts from Brian Ross.

  14. Eric Dondero
    August 20th, 2012 @ 9:55 pm

    Wow! Some blogs on the right are now censoring any discussion of Libertarian Jonathan Dine in the Missouri Senate race. Why don’t conservatives want other Republicans to know there’s a Libertarian in the race? Simple solution: If Akin stays in immediately back Dine so we can beat McCaskill. Just get a pledge from Dine to “caucus” with the GOP.

  15. Eric Dondero
    August 20th, 2012 @ 9:56 pm

    Addendum: Dine is already polling 5% in the race.

  16. BruceC
    August 20th, 2012 @ 10:02 pm

    I gathered that from some of the above comments. However, as much rumor and innuendo that is flying around I’m not sure anyone knows what’s happening. Anyway your reply does not answer my question: Are Brunner and Steelman eligible to be named as replacements under MO law?

  17. Zeb Quinn
    August 20th, 2012 @ 10:05 pm

    Dude. They’re gonna do that no matter who the R candidate is. It’s what they do. So you think if the Rs get rid of him and prop up the loser who has even fewer supporters than Akin is gonna fix it, and they’ll be nice to him/her? Come on.

  18. PowerToThePeople
    August 20th, 2012 @ 10:46 pm

    Akin needs to pack it in. He is an idiot if he does not realize that this is a dangerous election cycle, and any distraction could give Team Obama an opportunity to win in ways they don’t deserve. Hey moron – give up!

  19. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    August 20th, 2012 @ 11:30 pm

    More bad news for Smitty and Stacy…

  20. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    August 20th, 2012 @ 11:31 pm

    You have a gift for eloquence Garym. Thanks.

  21. Adjoran
    August 20th, 2012 @ 11:34 pm

    I believe they would be, this isn’t a “sore loser” situation. All the mentions being floated are without any substance, it’s speculation.

  22. Adjoran
    August 20th, 2012 @ 11:35 pm

    Sure, pot and isolationism, great idea.

  23. Adjoran
    August 20th, 2012 @ 11:39 pm

    You are correct. The election is too important and the Senate is critical – without it, we can’t repeal ObamaCare or pass a budget. The guy has to see the big picture. The stakes are too high.

    Not sure what “if the GOP folds, etc.” is all about. There isn’t much the party can do to force Akin out, and he was nominated by the voters. All they can do is threaten to withhold money to pressure him.

  24. Adjoran
    August 20th, 2012 @ 11:41 pm

    Every news report on the race referred to him as the “Tea Party” candidate. At least until this boner. I heard earlier the MO Tea Party orgs are calling on him to drop out.

  25. Adjoran
    August 20th, 2012 @ 11:44 pm

    This was entirely self-inflicted. As Stacy mentioned in the post, IF you are going to talk about abortion, you do NOT allow the baby-butchering Eichmanns to change the subject to rape or incest or individual tales of woe when the vast and overwhelming majority performed in this country are nothing but post-dated birth control.

  26. Garym
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:11 am

    We all do our part. ; )

  27. Adjoran
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:12 am

    After the wreck your phony messiah is leaving for the GOP to clean up, you have a lot of nerve.

    No brain, but a lot of nerve.

  28. Adjoran
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:13 am

    Torricelli.

  29. Adjoran
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:14 am

    Only in contrast, showing we never know what we will get with MO.

  30. Adjoran
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:15 am

    Who died and left a dumbass like you in charge of what anyone else “must” do?

  31. Adjoran
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:17 am

    Maybe because some of his supporters are spamming those places like you are doing this thread.

  32. Objectively, Todd Akin Is Doomed : The Other McCain
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:33 am

    […] of people on Twitter who see this differently. I was not hasty to jump in on this. By the time I first blogged about it today, Crossroads GPS had pulled out and there were already 23 Memeorandum threads on the […]

  33. BruceC
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:35 am

    Adjoran, Thanks for the answer. That’s what I had thought also, but wasn’t sure.

  34. Charles
    August 21st, 2012 @ 12:37 am

    A Senate seat is not a House seat.

  35. Wombat_socho
    August 21st, 2012 @ 3:18 am

    I think we’re all aware of Dine by now, and if you keep spamming the comments here on his behalf you’re going to be sitting in the corner for a while with the Cone of Shame on your head.

  36. K-Bob
    August 21st, 2012 @ 3:51 am

    Well, it was an excellent example of the Moral Equivalence fallacy. So he’s got that goin’ for him.

  37. Dolphieness
    August 21st, 2012 @ 4:16 am

    NO, he has never been the Tea Party candidate. Steelman was the Tea Party candidate.
    Akin is establishment and he had Dems voting for him in this OPEN primary. McCaskill new her odds were better with Akin than Steelman or Brunner.
    Now the GOP establishment has egg on their face and they need to clean up this Neanderthal’s mess.
    Brunner may be a viable candidate – however, Steelman would be the wisest choice at this point in time. If the MO GOP tries to put someone else in – they are idiotic in their focus.
    We need McCaskill out and we need a conservative in.
    Plus, if Akin stays – he ruins it for everybody and they had better think about that. They will be shooting themselves in the foot.

  38. Dolphieness
    August 21st, 2012 @ 4:21 am

    He did not just say something ‘stupid’ … he said something cruel. He basically told rape victims their rapes were not real if they became pregnant.
    Are you such a jerk that you cannot see what affect that has on women who have been brutalized like that?
    This is after the idiot claimed that abused women is not a fact – that women make it up to get the better part of a divorce settlement.
    Good grief – do you want to run off ALL women or what?
    Once again – a gaffe is a gaffe. What he said was not a gaffe – it was incomprehensible cruel.
    Even his nonapology apology was ridiculous.
    As far as being voted in – no, it was not by the GOP voters. The Dems cheated and voted in the GOP primary.
    *IF* it had been a FAIR primary and only GOP voted and he won, then you MIGHT have a leg to stand on.
    However, how many of the voters knew this disgusting neanderthal side of him?

  39. Dolphieness
    August 21st, 2012 @ 4:26 am

    It was a close third – not even a .5% difference. If the Dems had have kept their cheating hands out of the GOP primary there is not telling which of the two may have been the winner. It would not have been Akin.
    However, for damage control – if Brunner is the better man – he would want to protect MO & our nation. He would urge a Steelman nomination to soothe the damage that has been wreaked.
    If damage control was not needed – then by all means, let Brunner go for it.
    Right now – we need to pull that seat away from McCaskill, regain congress and get this country back on track.

  40. Bob Belvedere
    August 21st, 2012 @ 7:26 am

    Well, that’s okay then. I’d hate to have my second meet your third on the fourth for a fifth.

  41. Bob Belvedere
    August 21st, 2012 @ 8:20 am

    Obviously, you’re a compassionate person, but your argument has at least two serious flaws…

    1) Nor does he understand the agony a female goes through post rape
    pertaining to the rape, the “what if” process she goes through, the self
    hate, the poor self image AND the knowledge they are carrying the
    offspring of a monster within themselves. It is a hurtful decision
    making process that is up to the WOMAN to make – not some man who cannot
    EVER comprehend    .

    It is not up to the woman, nor is it up to any other Human Being, to make such a decision. There is a Human life in that womb. Life is often brutal and tragic – very horrible things happen to people. But there is nothing so horrible that can happen to you or any other person that can make the taking of an innocent life justified. The ends, easing the rape victims troubled mind and soul, do not justify murder, which is what abortion is.

    2) Then there is the additional item she must factor in: IF she does carry
    full term and places the baby for adoption and the child finds out they
    are the offspring of a monster – what will that do to the child?
    There is so VERY much to deal with and a woman does not need some jerk to tell her what she can and cannot do with her body.

    Once again, horrible and horrid things happen to people. Very few of us escape suffering through some kind of major trauma, be it cancer, rape, the loss of a child due to violence or disease, having to care for someone with mental and/or physical disabilities, or having been conceived during a rape – the cliche is true: We all have our crosses to bear. And this one applies as well: We all have to play with the cards we’ve been dealt. One of the main reasons we value happiness so much is because there is so little of it we get to experience and enjoy during the course of our lives. The child who is born as the result of a rape did nothing wrong – why should that child be punished with death?

    As I stated at the beginning of this comment, I believe that you are, quite obviously, a compassionate and humane person, but in the last sentence I just quoted, you fatally wound your argument with the phrase: ‘…a woman does not need some jerk to tell her what she can and cannot do with her body’. That ‘jerk’ would be God.

  42. Catherine Lueckenotte
    August 21st, 2012 @ 8:24 am

    He won the primary by fewer than a thousand votes in an almost even three-way split. Either Bruenner or Steelman is still viable at this point. That is why it helps.

  43. Bob Belvedere
    August 21st, 2012 @ 8:25 am

    This guy comes here every once in a while, craps on the floor, and leaves.

  44. Bob Belvedere
    August 21st, 2012 @ 8:28 am

    Eric is not a spammer, Wombat. He’s a passionate guy, a good guy.

  45. Garym
    August 21st, 2012 @ 8:55 am

    Is that what that smell is? Good thing we didn’t step in it.

  46. Tennwriter
    August 21st, 2012 @ 10:12 am

    No, he did not say that.

    And yes, women have made up stories about abuse.

    As to running off women, women despise weakness most of all.

  47. Tennwriter
    August 21st, 2012 @ 10:15 am

    Right because a baby is a monster.

  48. Tennwriter
    August 21st, 2012 @ 10:21 am

    Fair enough. Now give it a rest. We heard you the first four times.

  49. Ugh: Todd Akin Asks For Forgiveness in New Ad (Video) « Nice Deb
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