Akin regains lead as social conservatives stand by him
If Todd Akin pulls this off, it will be more than he who is vindicated. It was also be the pro-life community.
After supposedly suffering a nine point drop following his infamous rape remark, to fall behind Claire McKaskill 49-44%, could it be Akin has already recovered? Yes, according to a new poll commissioned by Family Research Council.
If Akin regains his foothold, it will put knee-jerk Republicans in a deservedly tough spot. Two days ago RNC Chairman Reince Priebus insanely declared, “He can be tied, we’re not gonna send him a penny.” Priebus, pictured right, has said he believes life begins at conception, although he must also believe babies whose fathers are rapists can nevertheless be murdered.
Seriously, are Republicans so afraid of feminists, and so afraid of defending the pro-life issue, that they’ll throw themselves under the same bus they threw Akin?
Reported Politico, yesterday:
A survey commissioned by the Family Research Council — the prominent social conservative group standing with Akin… found that Akin now pulls 45% support to McCaskill’s 42%.
That’s not to say Akin hasn’t sustained damage: his personal image is weak, with 44% of voters having a favorable impression of him and 50% having an unfavorable impression. But he still leads McCaskill by 10 points among independent voters and in the conservative-leaning state, Akin wins about the same percentage of Republicans (78%) that McCaskill wins among Democrats (82%.)
Pollster Fritz Wenzel underlines the importance of Akin’s support on the right: “McCaskill holds a 58% lead over Akin among very liberal voters, but that pales compared to Akin’s 81% to 5% lead among very conservative voters in Missouri.”
“Despite the firestorm of news in the Senate race over the past few weeks, most voters have already made up their mind in the race, the survey shows,” Wenzel writes. “The fact that 80% said they were firm in their choice certainly indicates that this is a race that will be decided more by ideology and turnout efforts by the campaigns and less by breaking news that flashes across the news pages and cable news channels.”…
The FRC poll was conducted by Wenzel Strategies from Aug. 27 to Aug. 28, testing 829 voters for a margin of error of plus or minus 3.38%. The sample was 32.7% Democrats, 34.1% Republicans and 33.2% independents.
As the Huffington Post points out, the Akin controversy has created new pressure in the “ever-slumbering tensions between the Republican Party’s two core wings: social conservatives and corporate interests.”
While Republican Party elites immediately not only abandoned Akin but attacked him with a vengeance, pro-lifers stood by him. From CNN, August 24:
Huckabee at one point compared the National Republican Senatorial Committee to “union goons” who “kneecap” their enemies.
The former Arkansas governor said party bosses were “opening up rounds and rounds” of ammunition on Akin and “then running over with tanks and trucks and leaving him to be ravaged by the other side.”
“This is unprecedented, to see to this orchestrated attempt to humiliate and devastate a fellow Republican,” Huckabee said of Akin, who has deep ties to the Christian conservative movement….
Huckabee said he spoke directly with NRSC officials this week and was assured that they would begin to dial back their offensive against Akin. He said party officials specifically told him they would stop pressuring Akin’s consultants and campaign vendors to drop the congressman as a client.
Gee, thanks, GOP.
A final salient point in a Hill article today echoes mine from last week: Republicans clearly panicked and committed a knee-jerk reaction that will hopefully become a much-needed learning experience…
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) told The Hill that Akin had made a “very bad” mistake with his comments but that the party acted too quickly in calling for him to drop out.
“Anyone who’s the nominee of the party has the right to get the opportunity to see if he could right the ship,” he said. “I don’t think they gave him time to right the ship. I share their outrage over what he said and how he handled the situation, but he’s the nominee and he deserves the opportunity to see how these things [play out]. You don’t act in politics in the passion of the moment. If you do, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes.”
This would not have happened had Republicans called social conservative leaders instead of freaking out, which was a slight social conservatives should call them out on.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
So where is the man? If he is so brave, why don’t we see him out among his constituents? He was not thrown under the bus-he jumped willfully. What he said was reprehensible and absurd-absolute crackpot science at it’s worst. He is not ready for being a senator. I really do not trust that poll.
My son has been deployed to the Mid east 7 times and facees death 24 hours a day, 7 days a week-that is being brave!!
I don’t know if you can really be angry at other party figures for trying to contain the damage, both in Missouri and nationally. Perhaps they didn’t need to go to such a level, but the fact is the progressives own media and the pop culture lock, stock and barrel. He didn’t actually defend his prolife beliefs in that interview, suggesting rape is rare doesn’t explain why every unborn child has an inalienable right to life. Had he actually done that, then he would be worth defending, but how much damage has he done, not just electorally, but to actually convincing other people that abortion is cases of rape is still wrong? Perhaps I will be proven wrong, but if Obamacare is still standing by this time next year and we were one Senate seat short, it’s poor consolation that we defended a man who can’t even defend himself in a position that especially requires being able to articulate his views and lead his state and the nation.
I wouldn’t get too excited about one poll, it may be an outlier.
Let’s assume Akin is an idiot. That doesn’t necessarily mean that his opponent is a better choice for Senate. Perhaps voters are just cynical. Akin may stink, but McCaskill is even worse. So, it isn’t a choice between two fairly good candidates. It is a choice between someone who is sometimes wrong and another who is usually wrong and more expensive.
‘if momma aint happy, aint no one happy’ is not a satisfactory explanation for the failure of republican establishment to engage the ‘dead babies r us’, ‘vagina vigilantes’, mob.
who cares if a bunch cackling hens who would never vote forrepublican or pro-life have their granny panties all in a wad.
we aint demandin perfekshun. if it is worth doin, it is worth doin ugly. just git er dun.
no thinking woman or man, who is the least bit consevative, would vote for claire over akin.
what most voters are looking for in a candidate is ‘true grit’. someone will who fight for what is right and true and just, for the sake of righteouness, truth and justice.
akin is passing the test, the republican establishment is failing.
that is why i stopped sending the party any money a long time ago.
i have found the one thing they do understand is money, or more precisely, the ‘fear’ of the lack thereof.
Republicans are stoopid. ;-) They really are. I love how pro-lifers have reminded everyone of the stupid comments liberals like Whoopi Goldberg made about “rape rape” and how Norma McCorvey admitted to faking a rape to obtain an abortion and Roe was based on her lie. But Republicans didn’t remind the public of this useful information. No, they tucked their tail between their legs and ran.
And look how they’re treating Akin when the general sentiments of his comments were TRUE. With friends like that who needs enemies?
I am so sick of Democrats AND Republicans. No one is loyal. No one stands for truth and right and good anymore. Sick.of.them.
I am praying Akin wins just so he can tell the GOP to jump off a cliff.
I love how pro-lifers have reminded everyone of the stupid comments liberals like Whoopi Goldberg made about “rape rape” and how Norma McCorvey admitted to faking a rape to obtain an abortion and Roe was based on her lie. But Republicans didn’t remind the public of this useful information.
That bears repeating!!!!
I take Reince Priebus at his word that he is 100% pro-life and the reasons he has stated for wanting Congressman Akin to leave the race. Although Mr. Priebus’ position on this issue is a political calculation I am not willing to make, I don’t see it as being completely unprincipled.
My support is for congressman Akin, but like Mr. Huckabee I don’t want to single out anybody in particular in the GOP as the cause for the knee-jerk (but nonetheless principled) reaction.
We need to support both the pro-life position and the conservative movement.
Go Congressman Akin.
And Jill, thank-you, for ensuring that the pro-life position did not get lost in this tempest in a teapot. I agree and think that was the biggest mistake that many GOP members made. Going forward, the GOP should put more effort and resources into winning the public media debate about abortion.
PS – I also hope that Congressman Akin pulls this off and wins the Senate seat in Missouri. It will not only vindicate Congressman Akin, the Pro-life position, and the FRC but it will actually make the GOP look really good. It will show how strong the GOP/conservative movement is. If the GOP ends up supporting Akin in his win, the GOP will have done a lot in advancing the issues they care about. It will give them a lot more credibility with the public.
Ninek, you commented “But Republicans didn’t remind the public of this useful information.”
The public does not need to ‘remind’ the public. Such ‘information’ is splashed across the mainstream liberal medias pages frequently enough.
Biased much?
Yes, Ninek, I think Kelly has a point here. Lots of libs have said the most unreasonable stuff, and it won’t even register on the mainstream news richter. The news media have so much power in framing, defining, and labeling the conversation.
Priebus, pictured right, has said he believes life begins at conception, although he must also believe babies whose fathers are rapists can nevertheless be murdered.
(Denise) The position is only that females impregnated THROUGH RAPE would be legally allowed abortions. A woman who has CONSENSUAL SEX with a man who is also a rapist would not be permitted a legal abortion.
The Republican establishment asked us to go with McCain, and we reluctantly went along. They pushed for Romney, and again we eventually jumped on board.
Now they react like 19th century matrons, collapsing on the couch with a sick-headache and dabbing their foreheads with a kerchief.
Even Dennis Prager was outraged by Huckabee comparing the GOP’s hierarchy to union goons. Well, thanks Reince Priebus for proving Mike right. How about being tougher on the opposition than your own side?
Get up off the couch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APwfZYO1di4
At this point, this single poll isn’t even significant enough to be listed by real clear politics.
Hey, lookie here, lookie here:
August 29, 2012, 10:14 PM
Abortion Will Stay Legal, Romney’s Sister Predicts
By MICHAEL BARBARO
TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney’s sister promised that a ban on abortion was “never going to happen” under her brother’s presidency, a reassurance to women that is at odds with the nominee’s stated position on the issue
CC, if the GOP decide to betray the prolifers and the social conservatives one more time – they are done. I am sure the prolifers will contemplate starting their own party. If they GOP learned anything from the way they mishandled Congressman Akin, they have learned that social conservatives and prolifers are fed up with political scraps such as polite head nods and are demanding real change and support.
“I love how pro-lifers have reminded everyone of the stupid comments liberals like Whoopi Goldberg made about “rape rape” and how Norma McCorvey admitted to faking a rape to obtain an abortion and Roe was based on her lie. But Republicans didn’t remind the public of this useful information.”
I hear ya, BUT I do think it is more classy to apologize without pointing the finger at what someone else has said, especially if that someone is Whoopi Goldberg. Now the Norma McCorvey inormation is useful but would be spun like a top – where it stops nobody knows.
I don’t understand how Santorum can “share their outrage over what he said and how he handled the situation”. Akin doesn’t deserve any of the criticism he’s received. I’ve lost respect for all those who have attacked or even criticized him.
I’m sorry, but that legitimate rape comment was just horrific. I’m 100 pro life with no exceptions, but for him to say that a woman who is ‘legitimately’ raped cannot become pregnant was just horrible.