Republican challenger Rep. Todd Akin has recently been undercutting Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill’s substantial lead in the polls, but that’s now turning back in the other direction. A final Public Policy Poll (today’s election day) has McCaskill up 4, 48 % to Akin’s 44 %. Libertarian candidate Jonathan Dine, who sits right between the extreme right and the middle left, has 6 % support.
If McCaskill can hold on tight to her senate seat in Missouri today, it looks like (she’ll help) the Democrats block the Republicans from gaining a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Yet, I sense, something even more profound (in the larger picture) is at play here!
The furious fight in Missouri, between McCaskill and Akin, is a microcosm for many other fights fiercely fought today, across a national political landscape wrought with division, where contrasting views find little middle ground. If Mitt Romney loses today, and I believe he will, Todd Akin may well take a lions share of the blame for his severe comments on ‘legitimate rape.’
These comments splintered the right and helped to unite women around the nation, who could see so much better now what Paul Ryan and this radical-right bunch were really about.
How is it that Todd Akin is still able to galvanize voters, even though he’s been ostracized by his own party? My parents are from Missouri and I’ve paid the Show Me state many visits, which has resulted in some insights into its multi-faceted political landscape.
The rural areas between St Louis and Kansas City are Akin territory, while the cities (St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia) are in McCaskill’s grip. Many Baptists or Evangelicals agree with Akin; even if a woman is raped, she still shouldn’t have an abortion.
As archaic or Medieval as these views appear, there yet remains a substantial constituency for these conservative beliefs. However, there’s probably even more people, and especially women, who vehemently oppose such an extreme, Pro-Life position on abortion. Will this cost Akin the election in Missouri? I sense that it will.
Why? Because there’s many more Democratic voters in the cities who are unwilling to let this ignorant man into office. Yet, an even more profound question, is, has (rather) Akin’s primitive, male chauvinist comment (the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down) cost Romney the election?
A soundly affirmative response to this question, is my gut feeling. Well, you might want to throw in Chris Christie’s blanket endorsement of Obama’s Presidency, along with the hypocrisy of Romney’s lying ads regarding Chrysler/Jeep outsourcing auto worker jobs to China. Nonetheless, Akin’s blind spot on abortion is the barnburner for Romney, since Paul Ryan’s position (and Romney’s to some degree) exactly mirrors Akin’s.
This slip up doesn’t just resonate with women in Missouri, it spreads like wildfire across the land; a clarion call to stop this ridiculous ignorance is pandemic amongst women!
Although it’s been covered up, Todd Akin has been arrested a number of times for his sit-ins at abortion clinics. I haven’t even been able to confirm these dates and places of arrest (I heard they were in the ’80s), but I know they happened. Akin is an extremist on this issue of abortion and he’s proud of it. We can sense now, it may be a blessing in disguise Akin made these revealing blurts on abortion. Why?
Because they exposed a tie-in with Romney/Ryan that needs to be known by voters. Romney/Ryan agree with Akin, but they won’t admit it. It could cost them the election, if this was made public. Sorry, Mitt and Paul, it has already cost you the election! Now all can see your transparent, condescending viewpoint on women.
Source: Truth Out
