Mew

I would suggest a Murkowski play.

Mew

Mew

Last I looked, 30% of Anericans do not even think abortion is immoral, so you are ailenating those voters right from the start.

And “my logic” is applied to divisive and complex social issues the society has clearly not decided upon, not agreed upon issues like fighting Nazis, murder, and rape.

As a practical matter, my belief is Akin is the nominee for better or worse (elections even Primaries have consequences) and the US of A is better off with Todd Akin than the national chairwoman of Obama’s 2008 election campaign (though she is loath to admit that nowadays least it negatively affect her freedom to rubber stamp Obama legislation in the future).

So long as Akin remains around, you’re correct, we’re going to need essentially a third party longshot. (i.e. a Murkowski)

That said, the rules get a little different if Akin withdraws. At that point, MO GOP (I think…) get to name a replacement. I am under the impression that they would not have the same restrictions that would apply in this case, i.e. they would be able to name Steelman (or Brunner)… but only if Akin is gone.

It may be better, though, for Conservatives to see whether there’s a “good enough” candidate available, who did not run in the primary, on short notice.

Mew

Note my new trick. Finally learned how to embed a link.

McCaskill’s campaign admitted to making quite a large donation to Akin to get him over the line in the runoff *because they want to run against him*.

Someone paid for that PPP poll (the one that’s R+9 in a State that went R+3 in 2010 and D+6 in 2008) showing he still beats her post-gaffe.

For the rest of the campaign season, other GOP candidates will have to answer “Do you agree with Akin?”.

If McCaskill wins, I will place some of the blame on her campaign, but reserve most for the Missouri voters who couldn’t tell they were being flim-flam’d.

Mew

But, really, should we bring in Nancy Reagan, the Bushes, Quayle, Cheney, Dole, McCain, and Palin to force him out?

Mew

Your fourth paragraph (with the exception noted in my next paragraph) is quite accurate but applies to both sides of the political divide. Many on the left dwell in their echo chamber too.

However, I can’t agree regarding the MSM – over the years, it’s clear that journalists in the MSM have moved from the principle of reporting the truth to a postmodern approach of interpreting and crafting the news to conform to their preconceived group think of the way things should have happened. In other words, a rampant confirmation bias to exclude the possibility of facts or debate from altering convictions, preferring instead to treat conservative views as illegitimate particpants in the public arena.

It’s not fear but facing reality – conservatives thus know the lay of the land and the tilting of the playing field.

And an test example will be how the media plays the Akin fiasco in the coming days and weeks – will they continue to give widespread publicity along with the editorizing and “expert analysts” trying to paint the entire Republican party with the brush of one Senator candidate. And compare this with how they treat other wildly inaccurate and irrational statements that come from the Democratic side of the aisle – from the V.P. on down -, damping those events as mere aberrations that have no broader significance.

The outcome being, of course, that the MSM is reinforcing their notion that only Republicans/Conservatives/Tea Party affiliates are irrational.

And this plays right into it. This has nothing to do with abortion. It has to do the fact that a prominent Conservative in a closely watched Senate race revealed he is capable of being incomprehensible ignorant of a basic reality. You can be both pro-life and rational. That’s ok. This is not about that. This isn’t a gaffe. This isn’t inarticulateness about abortion. This is irrationality. This is what Independents fear most.

The short-term solution, if you care to hear it — R&R need to ignore this entirely. Instead, tomorrow, they emphatically state their support for science advancement and education, for initiatives that help foster technology innovation and international competitiveness, etc, and provide specific policy proposals addressing these areas. Put out a completely different narrative. Demonstrate that the leadership of the GOP lives in the real world, where science, technology, facts and reality matter. Yes, beliefs matter. But reality matters, too.

The longer term solution — stop being afraid of the so-called “main stream media”, stop talking to only people of like mind, and allow that people that disagree with you are not fundamentally evil. Otherwise, should Conservatives only become more disconnected and insular, it only makes it easier for circus clowns like this to hide amongst you in plain sight.

If the GOP and the Non-GOP force him out, we may still have a chance, otherwise. its over. The Electorate is that shallow. Trust me.