Image 01 Image 03

Hannity, Akin, what now?

Hannity, Akin, what now?

Sean Hannity’s interview of Todd Akin this afternoon was very uncomfortable and unsettling.

Hannity pressed Akin just about every way he could, but he and Akin were ships passing in the night. (Partial transcripts here and here)

Notice at 19:00 of the audio when Akin refers to the PPP (troll) poll showing him up by a point and then seems surprised when Hannity tells him the poll oversampled Republicans, meaning that Akin almost certainly was not ahead in a sample that looked like the electorate.

So what to do?

Well, we’ll just have to win.”

The question in this context is how.

Move on and let the Dems attack him, which may backfire because virtually every Republican up for election has called on him to step aside? Maybe he’ll get lucky and stay close in the polls, and by election day everyone will be focused on Obama and McCaskill, with not much more damage done to other Republicans.

Or keep pressuring him, since the reality is Republicans could put someone else on the ballot if he withdraws by September 25?

DONATE

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.

Comments

Well, he has well and truly handed the conservative movement a steaming bag of crap, and no mistake.

Maybe the best option is running a shadow candidate, and keep the pressure on to induce him to leave. If there is enough support for the shadow, and little for him, maybe his ego finally can’t take it.

    imfine in reply to Ragspierre. | August 21, 2012 at 11:53 pm

    Seriously, this is no where near as bad as say nominating hte architect of universal healthcare in MA as the leader of our party in the middle of a multi year fight against what our nominee first conceived of?

    Unless you are a rino and you really wanted obamacare to being with. then everything that has been going on, makes perfect sense.

Ignore him in public, pressure him in private. A few weeks of hammering by the Dems, depleted funds, and no party support my break through that hard head of his.

This guy cares more about his political career than he does the country. He needs to go and so does anyone else who
can’t stay out of trouble and embarasses his constituents and his party. This one has the potential to affect the country since democraps are using it against Ryan and Romney. If McCaskill gets in I will “spit bricks”.

If he stays in, the republican party should do whatever they can to run another candidate.

Of course, then there are the Missouri voters. Who knows
who they will vote for. The primary vote was pretty much
split three ways for the repubs.

What a mess.

However, when in doubt, do the right thing which in my opinion is kick his behind out the repub door.

    javau in reply to Amjean. | August 21, 2012 at 6:25 pm

    “There are the Missouri voters. Who knows who they will vote for.” These are the same people who voted for Akin with knowledge of the fact that McCaskill ran ads for him.

      NC Mountain Girl in reply to javau. | August 21, 2012 at 6:40 pm

      There were eight candidates in thee GOP primary. Akin won 36.05% of the vote. How many of the Akin voters were Republicans is anyone’s guess. I suspect more than a few of them were Huckabee Democrats. Huck seems to appeal to economic populist who are social conservatives.

      Akin is the flip side of Warren. Each only tends to listen to people of their own kind so the feedback loops are completely dysfunctional.

        You are spot on. Huckabee today actually played audio of McCaskill(whose campaign spent $1.5 million getting (D)s to vote for Akin) accepting Akin’s apology for his misstatement, saying this is yet another reason we should get behind Akin. Huck is off his meds or has an ulterior motive.

          serfer1962 in reply to sybilll. | August 22, 2012 at 1:12 am

          The fault lies with the GOP Establishment.

          All GOP primaries should be closed to GOP ONLY. Open primaries are the reason we got dole & mcrino

          javau in reply to sybilll. | August 22, 2012 at 8:06 am

          If they are so dense as to thinks McCaskill’s acceptance of apology counts and that it’s nothing more than a ploy to keep an opponent who is a complete moron in the race, they are irredeemable. One of the many tragedies of King Moron’s candidacy is that all Republicans will be asked about him and all Democrats will imply that all Republicans think like Akin. I don’t blame Democrats for doing that. The phony Huckabee could have ended this but he chose to be Prince Moron. If Obamacare survives because of this, Roberts, Akin, and Huckabee and if you believe Obamacare is the end of America, these people should live forever in the history of decline of America. Oh yeah, the MO voters too.

An independent candidate seems to be the idea that coalescing right now, if one goes by the early chatter. A bit of SuperPAC backing to this hypothetical candidate might carry the day.

“So what to do?”

Congratulate that witch Claire, she played this out perfectly.

The man Akins is a complete a$$hole, complete jerk. All about him, arrogant jerk. what a pompous a-hole.

theduchessofkitty | August 21, 2012 at 6:28 pm

I think the excrement is about to hit the fan, guys.

Via Jim Hoft:

“Vicki McKenna sent this in on the Friend Study that Akin cited for his claims that women can shut down pregnancy during a rape.”

“This” means an article from the Philly Inquirer – a blockbuster:

“HARRISBURG — One of the documents Rep. Stephen F. Freind used Tuesday to support his pregnancy-rape theory cited a World War II Nazi study on pregnancy and stress.

Yesterday, the president of the state affiliate of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said Freind’s use of the study was ”inappropriate.”

Freind (R., Delaware) did not mention the study at a news conference Tuesday, but he repeatedly used as a source for his information Dr. Fred E. Mecklenburg, who cited the study in an article.”

Read it all.

Don’t like to say this, but… Oh. My. God!

Pass me the smelling salts.

Oh, for crying out loud, all is not lost. If he’s not going to quit, then I think the only thing to do is to see that he wins. This election is too vital to allow a truly stupid remark by a Repub to facilitate Obama’s re-election.

As Rush said: What did he do? He said something that’s stupid. He said something that is incorrect. But all the guy wants to do is save lives. I don’t… You can call him an idiot, you can call him stupid, but the guy is not evil. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody, and I don’t think we can say that about the Democrats.

    Henry Hawkins in reply to Kitty. | August 21, 2012 at 7:50 pm

    Um, do you think you’re the only person who listens to Rush? You have omitted the part where Rush said Akin is placing himself above everything else and needs to pull out of the race now.

      Um, do you think you’re the only person who listens to Rush? You have omitted the part where Rush said Akin is placing himself above everything else and needs to pull out of the race now.

      Of course I heard Rush say that. He also said that Even if he pulls out, they’re not gonna stop talking about it.

      Frankly, I don’t know what Rush thinks should be done about Atkins. But in the past, he has advocated that you play the hand your dealt, not the one you wish you had.

      So what are you going to do if Atkins doesn’t quit the race and he’s the candidate? I say the voters should help him win. The election is too crucial.

        Henry Hawkins in reply to Kitty. | August 22, 2012 at 9:11 am

        “Frankly, I don’t know what Rush thinks should be done about Atkins.”

        You cannot have heard Rush say Akin was wrong but not evil without having heard him say seconds later that Akin must pull out of the race immediately.

      I just watched Sarah Palin on Greta Van S. and she thinks a 3rd party candidate should be considered. She backed Steelman against Atkins.

        serfer1962 in reply to Kitty. | August 22, 2012 at 1:16 am

        Plain has made so really dumb choices…ie McRino & Hatch. And a 3rd party is just as stupid. Love the gal but really.

        Vote for adkins after all most of you voted for McRino.

    Does anyone want a guy like Akin in the Senate? A guy who is more beholden to his own ambitions, rather than his party’s, and vastly more important, his country’s well being, is NOT the kind of Republican to elect.

    Such a person becomes enamored of his public reputation, so he will “moderate” his voters to fit in with the D.C. media and cocktail circuits. Do we need such a person, not unlike John Roberts, serving in the Senate. I hope Missouri can draft or recruit a decent third-party or independent candidate to run as a real, constitutionalist conservative against BOTH McCaskill and Akin.

      JackRussellTerrierist in reply to McCoy2k. | August 23, 2012 at 3:49 am

      If Akins won’t bow out, the best thing to do is rally around him to elect as a place-holder to be primaried out in six years.

      More than Akins needs to go, McCaskill needs to go.

      He’s not what we want or need, but most of them aren’t either.

      Pubs should shut up about him in public and apply draconian pressure behind the scenes.

    VetHusbandFather in reply to Kitty. | August 22, 2012 at 1:28 am

    What did he do? He said something that’s stupid. He said something that is incorrect. But all the guy wants to do is save lives. I don’t… You can call him an idiot, you can call him stupid, but the guy is not evil. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody, and I don’t think we can say that about the Democrats.

    The answer to that is simple. There is nothing I dislike more than people who are fiercely defensive about what they believe in, because other people tell them to believe it. Yes, I’m even okay with my friends that are rapid liberals… as long as they can make a rational argument for why they believe what they believe. Simply put Akin is just a mindless follower of conservative doctrine, and what we need are conservative leaders.

      JackRussellTerrierist in reply to VetHusbandFather. | August 23, 2012 at 3:53 am

      There is no rational argument to be made for what the left believes. The fact that you think there is says a lot about you, as does your remark that a leftist’s ostensibly “rational” view is better than GOP dogma.

      Pffft. Hardly.

      I don’t think you know who the real enemy is. Yeah, the GOP establishment and their dogma do indeed suck at times, but more so than a lefty?

      Good gawd.

[…] Le-gal In-sur-rec-tion: Hannity, Akin, what now? […]

Who is this guy?

Is he the establishment pick? (my assumption is that he is).

If so, hang this toupee’d albatross butt around the Ruling Class GOP’s neck and make them swim with their embarrassment.

Get the MO Teaparty to have their own ‘MO convention’ before the September deadline for this turkey and put their own nominee up for a write in to replace him.

Beat McCaskill, beat the ruling class GOP (and assorted punditry)

My point is that we don’t need the GOP, they need us. Let us set the terms. We can dis-intermediate the bastards.

    NC Mountain Girl in reply to gettimothy. | August 21, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    I’d hardly call Akin an establishment Republican. His main endorsement came from Huckabee. Most of the establishment worried about exactly what happened. It was a fluke. He won an eight way race with a hair over 36% of the vote. The next two vote getters, Brunner and Steelman, combined got over 59% of the vote. In a runoff state it is unlikely Akin would be the candidate.

      Thanks NC Mountain Girl.

      I am from FLA and all I saw was the three way race with “the establishment pick” vs Palin’s pick–Steelman, vs the other tea party guy.

      My assumption was that the Gentry GOP split the teaparty vote and got their guy.

      Well, time for the MO Teaparty to make it happen for the better.

    VetHusbandFather in reply to gettimothy. | August 22, 2012 at 1:34 am

    Although I love the spirit, and completely agree with most of what you are saying… there is one big flaw to your argument. In any state there are too many voters that don’t pay any attention to politics and will check the ‘Republican’ block just because they are registered republicans. So unless Akin drops out, you’d just be splitting the conservative ticket and giving the election to McCaskill.

I can’t stand it. He sounds like Elizabeth Warren. He didn’t have the balls to come out and say that he is pro-life, even in cases of rape, attempted to pussyfoot around it and spouted absolute nonsense, to wit: rape isn’t really a dilemma because raped women probably don’t get pregnant.

Strange puzzle now. The guys over at Volokh had this to say…which seems to make it more complicated now

Snip>

Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin may have won the party primary, but his idiotic and offensive comments about rape and pregnancy have caused party leaders to question his candidacy. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have both suggested that Akin step aside. But can he do that?

According to this Roll Call report, under Missouri law a party’s nominee may withdraw from the race before “5 p.m. on the 11th Tuesday before the election,” at which point the party would have 28 days to pick his replacement. The twist is that the 11th Tuesday before the election is tomorrow. Should Akin seek to withdraw at some point after tomorrow (but before September 25), however, he would need a court order and would have to pay for the cost of reprinting ballots.

1. Akin claims grassroots support — but blocked grassroots reactions by COMPLETELY shutting down his phones for TWO DAYS. I’ve never heard of such a thing!
2. After 12 years in Congress, Akin thinks political realities don’t apply to him. I’m sincere and I apologized, he says, Pack sand, haters.
3. The big money is gone.
4. The entire GOP — conservatives to RINOs — is telling Akin to get lost, including the presumptive nominee and the Party Chairman.

Given all that, just how does Akin think he can win?

With Hannity, Akin sounded like a bumptious, frightened little man in danger of losing something he wants so obsessively (the Senate nomination) that he will do literally anything–including lie about his motives (“This isn’t about me; this is about America”) and suppress the truth.

It’s probably “just” ego, but it’s also worth asking: Is Akin mentally unbalanced?

    VetHusbandFather in reply to CalMark. | August 22, 2012 at 1:38 am

    Given all that, just how does Akin think he can win?

    Maybe the Republican party needs to be more clear about what is going to happen to his political career if he loses the race. I suppose he could always switch sides, the Democrats are good about forgiving huge blunders right?

    Loesch condemning Akin for sneering at Romney, the soon-to-be nominee. Her statements about poor Akin could have recovered if the nasty ol’ GOP had just stood behind him is window dressing.

    A media personality trying to salvage credibility, simultaneously doing the right thing and saving face after defending the indefensible for two days.

We need a bigger squirrel.

1. Blast it: Jay Nixon, the governor of MO, is a Democrat. In contrast to the Torricelli situation, the executive branch would oppose an attempt by Akin to withdraw.

2. OT: Bill, I will defer to LIans who have seen combat, but it strikes me that you’d make a helluva battlefield commander.

Akin is acting how RINO’s do towards the base. His message is simple: I’m letting you have no other choice but me, so you must elect me.

    Exactly! All more the reason to get a third-party on the ballot or independent write-in candidate ASAP to run against Akin as well as McCaskill. If the sore loser statutes do keep Sarah Steelman or the other runner-up (forgot his name) from being the candidates, then its time to get one of the Matt Blunt into the race. He defeated McCaskill in 2004 for Governor of Missouri.

The solution would be to run a third party candidate… who you know will vote with Republicans if elected and then put all your backing behind that candidate.

I’d say move on.

The problem now is, apparently he’s going after Romney

Akin Tells Hannity That Romney Exploited Rape Statement Controversy For Political Gain

http://www.mediaite.com/online/akin-tells-hannity-that-romney-exploited-rape-statement-controversy-for-political-gain/

BannedbytheGuardian | August 21, 2012 at 7:15 pm

A relative was the doctor on call for all sexual assaults in her area. When the “morning after pill ” arrived it was a massive relief for the complication of pregnancy was completely eradicated.

Regarding the ‘legitimate’ status – for all the times she was called out she rarely had to attend the court cases . Mostly they did not proceed for various reasons. The continuing tests eg STD HIV counseling still applied.

So what is wrong with the system of rape reporting in the USA? I cannot believe this is not the case -it is accepted practice .

Other than that I feel you have entered the Twilight World & I have decided that it is the ghost of Mark Twain who has sent his fellow Missourians an epic existential choice. Vote for a true 19th century man or a 20th century woman.

I have taken to my after life advisor & contacted Mark. He says the key is here to break the GOP /DEmocrat hold on not only Missouri but America.

There is a huge opening for a concerted collective third party run.

Missouri- stand up & be The Show Us State -or forever be the stupid state.

General observation:

Akin is living proof of an old adage: the Republicans are playing their practice squad against the Democrats’ all-stars.

“Where do we get such men?” (Apologies to classic movie buffs.)

Did you guys notice the way he talked about Romney, or was that just my imagination?

This may take some time and actually might become less of an issue.

Quite frankly, I don’t think that Akin did any worse than Biden, Obama, Reid and a host of other democrat operatives.

True that the remarks were offensive but as compared to what? Certainly no worse than being accused of a tax cheat, felon and fat cat.

It would be good if Akin were to withdraw but that’s not assured and as such, the Republican leadership should look at this realistically.

Just my 5¢ worth…

If I had to hold my nose and vote for John McCain here in Arizona, then they can do the same thing in Missouri and vote for Akin, as painful as that may be. More often than not, especially in politics, the choice is between bad and worse.

    CalMark in reply to tomg. | August 21, 2012 at 7:45 pm

    McCain didn’t make monumentally stupid statements that the Democrats can turn into an albatross to hang around every Republican’s neck.

      NC Mountain Girl in reply to CalMark. | August 21, 2012 at 8:40 pm

      You’re right. He DID stupid things, instead. His decision to suspend his campaign to go back to DC and work on TARP was completely tone deaf.

        McCain’s Presidential run was an utter disaster. It ranks right alongside the campaigns of such luminaries as Bob Dole and Wendell Wilkie.

        However, the gentleman seems to be referring to McCain’s Senate run in 2010. My response was to that.

          tomg in reply to CalMark. | August 21, 2012 at 9:41 pm

          Yes, CalMark, I was referring to McCain’s 2010 Senate race. But my opinion him hadn’t changed since 2008. It was still a bad choice, just not as bad as the opponent.

writersblock15 | August 21, 2012 at 8:00 pm

If you live in Missouri, hold your nose and vote for Akin. He’s far better than McCaskill and Republicans need to win this state. In addition, we need to help out Senatorial candidates in toss up races just in case Akin loses. The Republicans could still get 51 seats without MO.

Keep pressuring him. The poll numbers are going to be gruesome. Rub his nose in them until he does withdraw.

huskers-for-palin | August 21, 2012 at 8:11 pm

This is the same McCain who shut down his campaign and voted for TARP….does that qualify???

huskers-for-palin | August 21, 2012 at 8:12 pm

The dye is cast. Just heard Levin today.

Conservative Beaner | August 21, 2012 at 8:24 pm

Onward, forward, into the night.

If Republicans support Akin they will be tainted by his blundering ways. If Republicans don’t support him and he wins, he is liable to do a Jeffords and take the marbles with him. I am sure the Democrats would love to have him and would spin it as Akin’s heightened awareness and evolved thinking.

He has chosen personal ambition over country and Party. I do sympathize a bit; though I’d like to think if I were in his position, I’d withdraw, but who knows?

Keep up the pressure. Perhaps a bit of carrot as well as stick. He’s still running for his House seat, right? Is there an assignment he might want? Let him know he can be a somebody or an absolute nobody there. Let him know he can have a future in the Party or be a pariah.

    NC Mountain Girl in reply to Jingo. | August 21, 2012 at 9:29 pm

    Be careful about ascribing motives to anyone. Akin has a really interesting mix of degrees. His undergraduate degree is in management engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, one of the nation’s first first engineering and technology universities. Then when he was in his late 30s Akin earned a Master of Divinity degree at Covenant Theological Seminary. That would seem to indicate he felt a calling. Five years later he won his first elective office.

    I suspect it may not be entirely ambition that is driving Akin. It may be an incredibly inarticulate pro life zeal. If that is the case they way to get to him is not by appealing to his patriotism. It is to note that his mistake has hurt the pro life cause -that one has to change the culture before they can change the law and that appearing grossly insensitive is not the way to change to culture.

theduchessofkitty | August 21, 2012 at 8:44 pm

Well, at least I live in TX. We got Ted Cruz. A totally intelligent pick.

We’re playing into the media’s hands.

We need to go on the offensive — in all 57 states.

Let’s say Akin drops out. Then what? How quickly can another candidate be selected? Will that candidate have a campaign organization to help elect them? Will that candidate still be tarred with the same slander that Akin brought on the party’s head?

I have no idea if Akin’s departure would help or hurt on election day. But it is only a week or so before Labor Day. Either he drops out really soon or he runs. There isn’t much time for dithering.

The man is an idiot. But there are a LOT of idiots, and a lot of BIGGER IDIOTS already in Congress like McCaskill and Kerry and DWS and, well, you get the picture.

Not sure what I would do if I lived in Missouri…

    WarEagle82 in reply to WarEagle82. | August 21, 2012 at 10:08 pm

    UPDATE: If Akin drops out on 24 or 25 September things certainly won’t get any easier for the person who replaces him on the ballot.

    It looks like the GOP has formed a circular firing squad right there in Missouri.

    Is it possible that the fate of the Republic hinges on one ignorant man making one unbelievably ignorant comment?

    VetHusbandFather in reply to WarEagle82. | August 22, 2012 at 1:58 am

    Will that candidate still be tarred with the same slander that Akin brought on the party’s head?

    By liberals yes. But we care about moderates and independents, and you aren’t giving them enough credit. If a new candidate takes his place, independents are smart enough to realize that the new candidate was picked to dissociate the party from Akin’s views. Who will seem more rational at that point? The party that condemned Akin’s comments and forced him to drop out. Or the party that continues to madly rave that all Republicans are secretly Akin, despite the clear actions showing otherwise.

BannedbytheGuardian | August 21, 2012 at 8:59 pm

I am off for a 7 week hike thru some backcountry .

The thought in my head as I pack up is the words of a certain canary “This will be an unconventional election’

When I return may I be the only one limping & hobbling. May you guys still be standing in what I think might be hurricane season.

Good luck.

I think it was a mistake for Romney to ask Akin to step down. Romney now looks ineffectual, like all the others. He would have been better to denounce the language but take the position that it was up to Akin’s conscience and the voters of Missouri to decide what to do.

Anway, now is the time to attack. There’s an opportunity in this fiasco somewhere. Find it. Attack! They don’t expect it.

    NC Mountain Girl in reply to raven. | August 21, 2012 at 9:44 pm

    National Review came up with an interesting line of attack. Does Abortion lessen the pain of rape? As a women who was conceived during a rape noted.

    http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/314538/aftereffects-akin-nro-symposium

    As one UC Berkeley grad student said to her pro-choice peers, “I have a right to be here.” They responded, “We didn’t mean you!” She asked, “Who did you think you meant?”

    My mother told this story to a co-worker who agreed and said, “People never think they are talking to an exception — like me.”

    We don’t discriminate based on parentage — that’s not equality. You are valuable no matter who your parents are, no matter the circumstances of your conception.

    All people are equal. All choices are not.

    JerryB in reply to raven. | August 21, 2012 at 10:01 pm

    Attack: How come the only death penalty supported by Dems is for rape, and then only for rapists’ children?

    Folks, it’s only Day 3 and the world has ended? Obama will be emperor for 20 years? Good grief.

“The question in this context is how.”

This is where Democrat ruthlessness ALWAYS trumps Republican stupidity.

How did you not see this coming???

All of you pundits and R politicians that threw Akin under the bus within a day of his gaffe have now made it nearly impossible for us to throw McCaskill out of her seat.

The D’s NEVER make that mistake. EVERY time one of theirs effs up they circle the wagons and protect him. They do what they can to salvage the situation and move on. They only throw their guy under the bus AFTER trying everything they can think of to save him.

Now, we’ve got a candidate that could have one, despite the idiotic comment, but every mover and shaker on our side of the field has already declared they are pulling out. All of the pundits on our side have already gone on the record denouncing him.

Entirely unnecessary. The two guys at the top had to distance themselves, and they did, but there was no call for everyone else to pile on.

Now you’ve screwed us. Now that you’ve jumped off the cliff into the Grand Canyon you suddenly realize you probably shouldn’t have jumped. Brilliant.

He won. Get over it. If he loses he loses. That’s the system.

In democracies elections have consequences. It’s in communist evil empires and in banana republics where the ballot is rigged to make sure the right people win. Sheesh.

huskers-for-palin | August 21, 2012 at 11:22 pm

If Akin is the deciding election for control the Senate, and the GOP comes up short, there will be hell to pay.

At that point, Akin might as well commit seppuku.

I will remind all my dear friends on this board that there is actually one more alternative to consider: A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.

Given how angry Tea Party activists and Republicans are at Akin’s inane stance, resources can be used to support one of the 2 opponents Akin had: Preferably, Steeleman, as Palin supported her and that is a big spotlight.

I will also remind everyone that such an approach work worked in the Alaska Senate race in 2010. Though, this time, the write-in candidate will have grassroots support on a vast level.

Akin’s idiocy has caused me now to support McCaskill. I urge the Missouri GOP to think outside the box if Akin remains.

    imfine in reply to Mutnodjmet. | August 21, 2012 at 11:54 pm

    Nice try Senator McCaskill

    Valerie in reply to Mutnodjmet. | August 22, 2012 at 12:55 am

    Did Barack Obama win all the Democratic primaries, even though he essentially ran unopposed?

    An hour or so ago I heard Ann Coulter on Hannity talking about a write-in strategy which sounded very interesting. She said people could write-in a WELL-KNOWN Republican name such as “Kit” Bond who had been governor in MO and that way any Republican all across the country could voice support FOR someone specific instead of just against Akin and would still give the state a popular and viable candidate to vote for and support.

    I’m sure there are difficulties attached to a write-in, but it sure did sound appealing. (But then, Ann does have a way, doesn’t she?)

Frankly I’m usually opposed to doing the circular firing squad on conservatives and Republicans when they make mistakes. -But- There are exceptions. And this is one of them.

My problem with Akins is that evidently he doesn’t have the sense God gave a squirrel. Namely if you don’t say anything, you can’t get into trouble for saying something. Pretty simple. So it bothers me when people violate that basic rule.

And what else bothers me is of all the things to talk about … really. Rape? A woman’s body shuts down when being raped? Really? O.o

Is it fair that Biden gets a pass every time he says something ridiculous? No. Is it fair that Democrats say the most appalling things and get a free pass? No. But politics isn’t fair. And it really bothers me when someone says something as idiotic as this. And what bothers me even more is when they seem to actually believe it.

it doesn’t really matter, at this point, if akin steps aside or not…the damage has been done. he’s handed the dems a huge diversion and became the poster-boy for all the stereotypes of woman-hating, sexually-ignorant, theology-thumping republicans. the dems have already parlayed this mess into an excuse to make a Big F’n Deal out of a couple of the party’s platforms that they may have, previously, only been able to capitalize on with some difficulty and blowback. but now they can paint the coming convention as a festival of backwardness and bigotry.
economy? what economy? we don’t need no stinkin’ talk about the economy. my worst fears that the party would be hurt by the ‘social issues’ would seem to have come to pass and we’ve got this moron, akin, to thank for really getting the ball rolling.

So the guy said something stupid. BFD. The real problem is that the Republican talking heads have done their imitation of the lady elephants confronted by a mouse. What a bunch of maroons.

It didn’t look good when John F’n Kerry first voted to invade Iraq, and then had the vapors over the rather low casualties (just as Bin Laden had predicted).

The Republican Party would be in power now, if the Republicans at the national level weren’t political nincompoops. The Democrats deserved to lose last time, and they did not, because the Republicans undercut their own candidates.

I’m feeling very frustrated because I am a Liberal and I know the present administration must go, and the only thing I have to turn to is a party of bleeding’ amateurs.

VetHusbandFather | August 22, 2012 at 1:01 am

Holy crap this guy is frustrating. I don’t know why Hannity doesn’t just lay it out there:

If you want to stand on your principles, drop out. Your principles will be best served by one of your primary runner ups. They believe in all the things that you believe, and they don’t have a ‘legitimate rape’ problem.

It is unbelievable that he doesn’t realize that PPP poll is setting him up for failure. And you know that Democrats will point to that poll for the next three months saying it proves that Republicans all think the same way Akin does.

Midwest Rhino | August 22, 2012 at 7:47 am

By bringing up third party, and saying we have to do whatever to get past this guy, Palin helps keep the pressure on Akin to get out by September.

Huckabee on the other hand, plays up how conciliatory McCaskill is being, as if Republicans are the big meanies. (Unless he was just trying to get Akin to consider that the Republican “enemy” wants him to stay in. But it didn’t seem that way). Huckabee seems to like his little fundamentalist power position, and is standing by his man.

Akin fits the caricature of the ignorant backwoods snake handling Christian. That is not fair, but when he feeds Democrats a sound bite saying women have some magical way of rejecting rapist sperm, we must wonder how many other snakes he has in his dimwit closet.

52% of likely voters are pro-choice. 41% are pro-life. Of the pro-life, I couldn’t find what percent thought a rape victim should not be allowed to abort the egg that was infiltrated by the rapist sperm, at least in the very early development. I’m guessing maybe 30%? So we all have to die on this hill for that minority? She will abort the sperm and egg if the sperm doesn’t get in the egg, but must carry the “demon seed” to term if it gets through the egg wall? Same number of living cells? This is fanaticism run amuck.

Henry Hawkins | August 22, 2012 at 9:20 am

“Akin fits the caricature of the ignorant backwoods snake handling Christian. That is not fair, but when he feeds Democrats a sound bite saying women have some magical way of rejecting rapist sperm, we must wonder how many other snakes he has in his dimwit closet.”

Wait till the Dems remember that Akin sits on the congressional science committee.

theduchessofkitty | August 22, 2012 at 11:53 am

Either he’s being paid or bribed by Democrats to stay in the race…

or…

… he thinks he’s some reincarnation of John Brown.

Awful! Rush just quoted Rasmussen–CM is up by TEN POINTS over Akin. Jeez. Guess he can’t hide behind that other stupid poll he quoted the other day anymore–I hope he now knows that the f… he’s done to us. (They say it’s his family that’s behind it…to me, that means his wife is using him to further her own ambition. So when we lose the country we can blame he–for all the good that will do.)