Posted on 08/23/2012 8:42:36 AM PDT by Perseverando
WASHINGTON – So, let me get this straight.
A worthy Republican challenger to Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri made one dumb comment to an interviewer and the entire Republican establishment is pulling the rug out from under him, essentially conceding the race to a very vulnerable Democrat.
Here’s the entirety of Rep. Todd Akin’s comment defending his pro-life position that has caused such a massive furor: “From what I understand from doctors, that’s (conception as a result of rape) really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something, I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.”
Now let’s take this statement apart word for word and see where Akin went wrong.
“From what I understand from doctors, that’s (conception as a result of rape) really rare.” So far, he is absolutely, 100 percent right. It’s exceedingly rare. Some feminist sources claim as many as 5 percent of women raped get pregnant. Though you will find studies placing the percentage at 1 percent to 5 percent, many of them are politically loaded. The fact of the matter is that women can only get pregnant when they are fertile. One-third of women are either too young or too old to get pregnant. A woman is capable of being fertilized only 3 days out of 30 every month. A fourth of all women in the U.S. of childbearing years have been sterilized. Only half of all rapists deposit sperm in the victim’s vagina. Many sexual attackers are impotent or ejaculate prematurely. But, at the end of the day, it’s very rare for a rape victim to become pregnant
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
"Republicans are quick to turn on their own to show just how magnanimous and respectable they are. They want to demonstrate to the media and the electorate that they are smarter than those who occasionally stumble. And this is why they remain the minority party even when Democrats are destroying the country before our eyes.
Think about it. It’s like a friend of mine said recently. “Which of the following do you find more troubling? 1) Ted Kennedy kills a woman; 2) Barney Frank runs a homosexual prostitution ring out of his apartment; 3) Bill Clinton is credibly accused of raping Juanita Broaddrick; (4) Todd Akin misspeaks.”
Does that help put this in perspective?"
However, most Republicans realized how big a gaff in tactical and strategic political terms this is. Akin does not.
Todd Akins is just an ass, and if he were capable of honorable behavior, would have already withdrawn while another candidate still has a chance.
The man’s lost it.
He could take the White House with him.
If I read the Missouri law correctly, if Akin withdraws, MaCaskill runs unopposed. On the other hand, if he waits three more weeks, they can replace him on the ballot if this does not blow over.
Todd Akin hangs Republicans out to dry.
>> It’s like a friend of mine said recently. “Which of the following do you find more troubling? 1) Ted Kennedy kills a woman; 2) Barney Frank runs a homosexual prostitution ring out of his apartment; 3) Bill Clinton is credibly accused of raping Juanita Broaddrick; (4) Todd Akin misspeaks.”
The thing is ... conservatives are not in a personality cult. We don’t worship our leaders like Democrats do. We don’t defend the indefensible like Democrats do. Unlike Democrats, our leaders serve us, not the other way around — and, if our leaders cease to serve us, we let them go. I don’t want a conservative version of Kennedy, or Clinton, or Frank, or Byrd, or Obama, or Biden, or Rangel. These people are an embarrassment.
People keep arguing that Democrats wouldn’t do this to somebody who has done much worse. That is true. But, Democrats are without honor, without shame, and devoid of intellectual honesty. We are not devoted to Akin like Democrats are devoted to Obama, or Biden, or Clinton, or Pelosi. Nor should we be. Our leaders don’t send a thrill up our legs.
Its a different game for conservative standard-bearers. They should know that at the outset. We try to hold our own accountable; our opponents do not. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
SnakeDoc
The one thing I am not seeing in this scream fest is the most important part.
What are the best current (of the few honest) polls in Missouri saying?
The reason this is critical is the flip side of the coin.
The Republican party leadership insisted that conservatives *had* to support Romney, even though he is far too liberal, *because there is no other choice*. If we don’t support Romney, then Obama will win.
But now, that same Republican party leadership is insisting that though it is too late to run another candidate, Akin should drop out anyway, *giving* the election to his wacky leftist Democrat opponent, and maybe with it, control of the US senate!
But what do the polls in his home state of Missouri say?
Is this not the identical situation to Romney? That Missouri Republicans have *no choice* but to vote for Akin, or the repulsive Democrat Claire McCaskill is guaranteed to win?
Why one and not the other? Why *must* conservatives support Romney, but at the same time, why *must* conservatives *not* support Akin?
I, for one, am willing to accept Akin’s apology as just a misstatement. Though I am not a Missourian, I think the big picture is far more important than a single ill considered sentence.
And the real harm Claire McCaskill can do to our country, along with tens of millions of people, is far worse than the imaginary harm the opinion of Akin might cause.
Let us keep our perspective. If you will hold your nose and vote for Romney, solely to stop Obama; then you, if you live in Missouri, should do the same and vote for Akin.
Sorry, but that is the Republican way; to back down, grovel, apologize, and quit whenever the Democrats or press scream their heads off and demand it. The Dems don’t do that. Republicans do. It’s who we are. It’s also why Dems and the press consistently kick our butts and select our gutless candidates for us.
I know he has lost it my old friend. Not even remotely has a sense of reality. He was up by 9, now down by 10. A 19 point negative swing. Colossal screw up.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2921944/posts?page=1
Regarding replacing Todd Akin if he withdraws - the Republican Central Committee will choose the replacement. That replacement can be someone who lost in the primary. So Steelman or Brunner could still end up as the candidate. Akin would have to withdraw and get a court order by Sept. 25.
yep
yep
The liberals may not have a principled position but at least it is logical which abortion in any form at any time and at any place.
Mittens has a position against abortion, but, but, but, but, but, but, not in cases of rape, incest, or the life of the mother which is not very principled nor very logical and very difficult to explain.
Unfortunately, Akin had the principled and logical position but he chose to defend his position with science and even the best science is not absolute which left him vulnerable to be attacked.
Personally if I were Romney, I would give up trying to pander to social conservatives with his illogical position, and be honest enough to give his real position which is abortion should be legal but it should be rare which is just as principled as his convoluted position and more logically defensible.
Such a position might not reflect my position but at least I would respect him for being honest and not simply pandering.
Such a position would reflect Giuliani's position and I respect Giulani for his honesty, but that is the difference between Giuliani and Romney, Giuliani is a populist from honest immigrant stock. Mittens came from elitist stock whose granddaddy fled the country to avoid the law and a gave birth to Willard's daddy who was a Mexican national who like most elitists felt entitled to run for the presidency even though his birth was a disqualifier.
So, he misspoke, mostly by using the term “legitimate rape.” Big deal. Politicians misspeak often, since they are on the campaign trail, talking all the time. This would not even be a news item if it were not for the Communist, baby-killing liars who run our press, and the Republican cowards who don’t dare face them down.
Instead of saying that he should retire, because of ONE thoughtless word—for which he has apologized—why the hell can’t the so-called conservatives and pro-lifers point out that he was BASICALLY RIGHT. Rape is a terrible thing, but you can’t solve it by killing the innocent baby who is occasionally conceived by rape. Killing the innocent is MURDER, even in the case of rape.
How about pointing that out? Or pointing out that the news media have a propaganda program that they are pushing here? Namely, all of them want to kill as many babies as possible, and this gives them a good chance to do it. Romney, who has a considerable record of support for abortion, has already caved in to the propaganda monster, and said that he approves of government-supported abortions in all cases of rape.
This firestorm will not be solved by urging a basically decent candidate to pull out because the baby killers have managed to make him a convenient symbol. It will only be solved if cdonservatives start pointing out what is REALLY GOING ON HERE—that the baby killers have seized upon a minor gaffe by an obscure politician to push their abortion agenda—and all the cowardly Republicans are jumping on their propaganda bandwagon.
That not only is the wrong response morally, it is a stupid response politically. It is playing the enemy’s game, and letting them write the rules.
Screw the losers supporting a liberal like Romney while piling on a near 100% conservative. It's pathetic and the reason why the conservative movement is impotent.
Excellent read Cicero!
I would be curious if it Akins would take money from the Devil himself to keep his ego running in this race?
I am sure there are lots of DEMS with deep pockets willing to fund his campaign to assure Claire a win and in the bigger scheme of things more infanticide in Missouri?
I do believe Mr. Akins’ ego has consummed his soul.
Ted is dead, Barny is out, and Bill is overrated.
Akins is now and what he said is the stupidist ignorant thing. It plays to the libaral’s stereotype of uneducated right wing fanatical white Christian.
This is the type of crap you hear coming out of a Imam’s mouth from a radical unstable 3rd world Muslim country.
Not only should they have thrown him under the bus, they should repeatedly pick him up and throw him under again until he’s gone.
It’s so fricken stupid it’s easy to believe he’s a liberal stalking goat.
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