With all due respect, the question at this point is how politically stupid are you? Seriously. I'm looking back through posts and see you've been defending Akin. You appear to be wearing political blinders and are completely unaware of how damaging this would be our electoral chances in Missouri. Now you ask how stupid the voters are when most people have been posting from the beginning that the Akin situation would play out exactly this way. This is precisely why conservatives who live in reality recognized right away that Akin needs to get out.
If Missouri voters would rather vote for Obama and all of his policies that have left this nation in shambles economically, i.e., inimical to their own personal interests and lives, because of a verbal gaffe of a GOP senate candidate, then Missouri and the country deserve the government they get.
This sort of blather doesn't help us. Crying that if the voters don't react to the Akin controversy the way you want that Missouri and the country deserve more bad governance is a stupid reaction. It's like saying "We should defend this Akin person and screw the country if they don't agree with me".
This Senate seat is more important than any one person. Period. What is it about this truth that don't you get? Akin is not doing the pro-life cause any favors staying in and losing. There are plenty of good, conservative, equally pro-life folks that could step in and beat Claire McCaskill and take this seat for the good guys. There is no loyalty when it comes to winning elections. It is much like professional sports. If an NFL QB, RB, etc, is injured and can't win, or has said something stupid and is hurting the team, etc, you either fire or bench that person. Doesn't matter if its fair. Akin is hurting the team and needs to put his ego aside and make room for someone that will not hurt the team.
I am defending Akin because he has been treated unfairly by the GOP Establishment. I don't think what he said (and apologized immediately thereafter) deserved/warranted such a reaction from his own party. The GOP's swift repsonse one day after his remark coming from all corners of the country including the RNC calling for his withdrawal, cutting off funds, and disinviting him from the convention was petty and vindictive for a man who served the party well for 24 years. There had to be another agenda at work to cause such a response.
This Senate seat is more important than any one person. Period.
Should Mourdock have not challenged Lugar? Lugar was a dead lock on reelection. Mourdock has certainly put that seat in play. We heard the same blather about putting Mike Castle in the Senate rather than have Christine O'Donnell run. McCain and the Establishment wanted Charlie Crist to be the nominee over Rubio. Bennett over Mike Lee, Specter over Toomey. This is the kind of rationale that has given us McConnell as minority leader. It really doesn't matter if someone has an R after their name if they are going to give us the same policies as the Dems and not roll back the welfare state. Snowe, Collins and Specter voted for the stimulus. IMO Todd Akin was too conservative for the Republican Party.