The Akin Factor continues to play itself out at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. People watching gavel-to-gavel coverage on C-SPAN or in the limited network evening coverage aren’t seeing it. But his name keeps coming up in off-camera events.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Executive Director Rob Jesmer has told a group at a “Daily Briefing” presented by the National Journal, CBS News, and Atlantic magazine that he sees no “path to victory” for Akin in his run against incumbent Senator Claire McCaskill. He says no polls, public or private, show Akin with a lead–some indicating he is 8-11% behind McCaskill.
Jesmer says internal surveys show Akin has a 15% favorable rating and a 55% unfavorable rating.
The Senate editor of the Cook Political Report, a respected bipartisan government polling company, says Akin is clearly hurting the national ticket. Editor Jennifer Duffy says the path to Republican control of the U. S. Senate appeared to have an easy path that passed through Missouri until Akin’s remarks about rape and abortion took Missouri “off the table.” Duffy tells the same National Journal seminar she had given the GOP a 50-50 chance of taking the four seats this year that would give Republicans control of the Senate. But she says the GOP has only a 45% chance as long as Akin is still running.
The Akin camp continues to fire back at those it refers to as “Republican bosses” who want Akin to leave the U. S. Senate race. It has circulated a Youtube video showing Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus saying the national party would provide no financial support to Akin’s continuing campaign, even if he is tied with McCaskill. The Akin campaign says the remark shows Priebus has a personal vendetta against Akin.
