Well, these numbers from Rasmussen pretty much kill any hope that Republicans will win a Senate majority. At least it’s not like they needed it for anything important, right? Here’s the pollster’s analysis:
What a difference one TV interview can make. Embattled Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill has now jumped to a 10-point lead over her Republican challenger, Congressman Todd Akin, in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race. Most Missouri Republicans want Akin to quit the race while most Missouri Democrats want him to stay.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Show Me State finds McCaskill earning 48% support to Akin’s 38%. Nine percent (9%) like some other candidate in the race, and five percent (5%) are undecided.
A Survey USA poll in mid-August showed Akin with an 11-point lead on McCaskill. That’s a 21-point drop in a matter of days. What happens once Missouri Democrats start really slamming Akin with negative ads? This could be a landslide.
Ed Morrissey reports that Akin’s supporters seem to be primarily on the Democratic side at this point. Fifty-three percent of Republicans say Akin should withdraw, while 56 percent of Democrats want him to stick around (presumably to watch him get crushed by McCaskill):
However, let’s not be too rash. A number of Missouri voters want Akin to stay in the race. Hey, they’re mostly Democrats, but at this point, Akin can’t afford to be choosy:
Forty-one percent (41%) say Akin should withdraw from the campaign and have Republicans select another candidate to run against McCaskill. But just as many (42%) disagree and say Akin should not quit the race. The partisan divide reveals voter understanding of the underlying dynamics. Most Republicans (53%) think he should quit; most Democrats (56%) do not, and unaffiliated voters are evenly divided.
Will these numbers finally convince Akin to step aside? Or is he that determined to single-handedly destroy the GOP’s chances of repealing Obamacare, give the Democrats a distraction issue to talk about for the next two months, and humiliate himself in a landslide primary loss?
"Well, these numbers from Rasmussen pretty much kill any hope that Republicans will win a Senate majority." nCan we please stop with the sky is falling "analysis"? Yeah, winning MO would be great, but Republicans still have a darn good shot at gaining control of the Senate w/o defeating McCaskill, especially if Romney wins convincingly. MT, ND, NE, WI – then VA, maybe FL if the tide continues to turn favorably there. Lose ME, still got it without Akin. Sure it complicates things, but to read Commentary one would think it's over unless God strikes Todd down. At any rate, Obamacare would still be in trouble if because of Akin Reps fall merely 1 vote short in the Senate. You don't think that would change the political dynamics, with The One back in Chicago?
You can mark ND down as going for the GOP, Heidi Heikamp is not going to win in ND.
This is what happens when the Akin/Ryans express their true opinions. 2/3ds of the GOP would oppose the Akin plank if they took it seriously as GOP policy,which it is,ask Akin/Ryan"I'm proud of my pro-life record" Most rapes are not forced,ask Akin/Ryan.
Akin/Ryan? Too funny. I didn't realize they were related. Efforts to tie Ryan to Akin are too funny for words.
Good Point Gordo,Akin isnu2019t nearly as radical on this as Ryan.
So now the talking points say that conventional and unchanged Catholic doctrine that hasn't altered in a century is "radical" n nGod, partisans like you are tiresome.
No, it isn't funny. Both Ryan and Akin signed off on proposed House legislation that used the term "forcible rape."Any woman who votes for a candidate who believes there are classifications of rape, deserves to have her rights revoked. Men shouldn't have the right to legislate anything regarding reproductive rights until they start reproducing!
Maybe you are correct, but then again the vast majority of GOP voters don't place abortion anywhere near the top of their priority list. Furthermore, even if they disagree with the "Akin plank", they might still respect those who support it, since they are standing by their principles. nThe problem with the Akin/Ryan schtick (other than its puerility) is that it ignores the reality of the two-party system. We all have to compromise our principles and beliefs to some extent when choosing a candidate or a party. nAnd your use of the term plank suggests you are referring to the party platform. When is the last time anyone took a party platform seriously? Decades at the very least – you have to go back to the pre-primary days at the least.
The unsolvable problem of the Prolifers is that they must apply force on those who chose abortion;which requires state power(police) to enforce. It is also unsustaineable to rate unborn life as equal in importance to life that has existed from 20-40 years.
The man is a deluded fool, too proud to exit, too stupid to realize he is cooked. He'll drop when he is running on fumes and not donations. By then it may well be too late.
Akin will have no trouble raising lots of money from his followers in Mo.
Todd Akin may very receive more campaign donations from Democrats than conservative Republicans. The latter will only give him a few bucks. Most see him as a loser—and ego tripping whack job.
Iu2019m sure that Clare will throw a bone at him. LOL
I am not joking. The Democrats will almost certainly send him money.
Romney win big?? Dream on! You guys crack me up!
I think that Rassmussen is a respected poller and has nailed the presidential election but I just can't see a conservative Republican voting for Claire McCaskill the woman is not conservative and still when the day is over, is one of the worst in the Senate as well.
It is looking to be a base election at the national level. I can't see how this won't fire up whatever Dem base there is in MO. There is also a segment of the right who is pissed at him (rightfully) for validating Obama's narrative completely unnecessarily. They won't come out for the guy. n n
There are not enough conservative Republicans to save Todd Akin! It is extremely unwise to discount Rasmussen's polling results.
The problem with Akin's faith voters is that no appeal to reason is ever going to work with them. They always know better, whatever the contrary evidence.
I wouldn't vote for Akin. Wouldn't vote for McCaskill either, but Akin is too stupid.
In the rural areas, where no one really lives? That's a "winning" strategy for Akin if there ever was one (we're going to lose the suburbs and the cities, but still win!
You are referring to the hard core supporters of Todd Akin that number at most 40% of the total electorate. Unfortunately, he will lose by at least 10 points on Election Day. He is a dead man walking. I am strongly pro-life—and am quite sure that a suitable candidate can be found to take his place. Moreover, such an individual should easily defeat Claire McCaskill!
I'm sure the evangelicals are, Maggie, but unfortunately they can't elect a senator on their own, with all the educated Republicans and the Democrats going in the other direction. You people really live in a holy echo chamber. Clueless.
Sorry I can't sugar-coat this. Akin is appallingly ignorant and the people who support him are appallingly ignorant. Bryan Fischer is an embarrassment. There are reasonable pro-life people, but there are also a lot of ignoramuses. The GOP shouldn't kowtow to ignoramuses. If you think these people are doing the pro-life cause a shred of good, by the way, you are deluded. n nThe good fundamentalist country people of Missouri are not going to be able to elect Akin by themselves. Maybe sixty, seventy years ago they could have. Today too many people in Missouri are educated and/or secularized. n nIf voting for the GOP nominee means a rejection of reason, educated suburbanites aren't going to do it. They have more expectations, rightly so, than to be represented by a blithering idiot like Todd Akin.
Rush LImbaugh, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, Anne Coulter, John Ashcroft, Sarah Palin,Kim Bond……and vritually the whole conservative Republican camp came out against Akin and urged him to withdraw. All of therse people are pro-life and very strongly conservative- certainly not the "elitist" side of the Republican party. Spare me the wails about Akin being 'anti-establishment", All he is , is an egotist and only a sound defeat will send him packing. And, think of the damage he is doing to the evangeical Right. If he loses (more like, when he loses) the impotence of the far right will be esposed to all .never again will a right leaning or even conservative candidate grovel and pander to them ,as they will have shonw to be impotent. He should withdraw ASAP
It is more the GOP prostituting itself to the feminists that will cost the party the Senate…. n nThere already is a backlash — I, personally, will be voting for Elizabeth Warren in protest of Scott Brown's (RINO-MA) campaign ad endorsing/supporting the VAWA. I have personally seen people — both male and female — seriously harmed by VAWA and I would rather have Warren.
So you will be voting for a militant feminist because you want to protest militant feminism. Brilliant. You, sir, are the definition of a crank.
I think it is disgusting the way the GOP is throwing an honorable man like Todd Akin under the bus! I happen to agree with him that abortion is always wrong. I wish more politicians had deep-seated convictions that stayed the same regardless of which way the wind was blowing. nI think the worst thing Akin to do would be to withdraw after saying he wouldn't. What if someone else replaced him and the GOP STILL lost the seat? Who would you blame then? Would you blame Akin if Romney lost? "Independent moderates" – bah!