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Todd Akin Is Staying In The Missouri Senate Race Because No Means Yes

Hey Todd Akin, how’s the last month been for you? I don’t want to make you feel weird or anything, but a lot of people want you to drop out of the Missouri Senate race. Claire McCaskill wants you to drop out, but that’s not surprising given that she’s your opponent. Paul Ryan wants you to drop out of the race, which should be something of a red flag. Mitt Romney wants you to drop out of the race, because you’re an unrepentant misogynist making things more difficult for him. You’re embarrassing many other Republicans, who are now afraid of being known as members of the party of “legitimate rape.” I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that a lot of people would be pretty psyched if you decided today, which is the deadline for withdrawal from the race, to shut that whole thing down.

And yet, you persevere. Who’s advising you? Who thinks this is a good idea? Oh that’s right, a super successful candidate with a proven track record of winning national campaigns. I’m referring, of course, to Newt Gingrich. Slate reports:

Akin has since come to enjoy the vocal support of Newt Gingrich, who traveled to Missouri to warn that an Akin loss would dim Republican hopes of a Senate takeover in November. Gingrich says Republicans have a “moral” responsibility to oust the Democratic incumbent, Sen. Claire McCaskill. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has also been an outspoken Akin defender.

That Akin has enough of a chance in the race to draw the attention of gadflies like Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee is revolting on its own, but the actual lack of long term strategy on Gingrich’s part is also appalling. If he’s truly hoping for a Republican Senate majority, maybe it would behoove him to back Republican candidates that don’t have a cartoon villain’s attitude about 51% of the population? It’s clear why Akin is hanging on — he’s got nothing more to lose if he’s defeated and everything to gain if he wins, and if he suspects that there’s a population of voters who agree with him more than they let on, I think he may be right, though I don’t know if that will translate into a victory. But what’s in it for Newt Gingrich?

Press, that’s what. Aaaand yet another political war is waged literally using women’s bodies as the battleground, one that has very little to do with us and everything to do with older white dudes feeding their own megalomania. Thanks, guys. You shouldn’t have.

TAGS: Boneheads | newt gingrich | Rants | todd akin

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