On Saturday night, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin held what an aide said would likely be the campaign's last campaign rally in St. Louis prior to Tuesday's general election.
At what his campaign described as a "Family Values Rally" at Westminster Christian Academy in Town and Country, Akin, currently the 2nd District U.S. Congressman from Wildwood, touched on familiar themes in his campaign against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
Citing McCaskill's record supporting President Obama'a healthcare reform and the federal stimulus bill, among other areas, the Wildwood Republican called McCaskill Obama's "strong right arm" in front of an audience geared toward religious conservatives.
Akin was introduced by former St. Charles County Executive Joe Ortwerth, who talked about serving with both McCaskill and Akin in the Missouri General Assembly in the 1980s. Ortweth pointed to what he called McCaskill's "liberal to ultra-liberal" voting record at that time and to a voting record as a U.S. Senator that was not that of a "middle of the road Missouri moderate."
The National Journal is shedding new light this weekend on Akin's record before he became a state representative, reporting that he was arrested a total of eight times as part of anti-abortion protests in Missouri and Illinois starting in 1985, before he was elected to the state legislature in 1988.
The campaign did not make Akin available to talk with reporters Saturday night, but senior adviser Rick Tyler called it "the world's most boring rap sheet," according to St. Louis Beacon reporter Jo Mannies. Tyler told Patch it was "a 25-year old charge."
Saturday's event also featured Christian recording artist Twila Paris and Grant Williams, the former St. Louis Ram, now the St. Louis Cardinals team chaplain. It was hosted by "Missouri Women Standing With Todd Akin," a group that came about in the days after Akin's controversial remarks about abortion and pregnancy.
At least one person in the audience felt the campaign should be going in another direction in the final days.
A woman named Margaret, who didn't want her last name used, sat eating the chili supper prior to the evening's festivities and described herself as a "radical", part of a group of Tea Party members who rally every Saturday morning at the corner of Highways K and N in St. Charles County.
"We don't want to preach to the choir," she said. "We should go where the Democrats are," she added, saying that she's been able to convince at least one Democrat to flip to the Akin column.
Tyler, the campaign strategist countered:
"During the campaign you go out and try to win over persuadables, those are people who could be swayed, who make up their minds and then in the end, in the last 10 days, you need to return to your base," he said.
McCaskill's final "Get out the vote" rally in St. Louis County will be Saturday at a Machinists union hall in Bridgeton.
Preaching to the choir is not the best way to win elections. If any candidate runs on "moral" principles, then you need to explain those moral principles. Democrat minds can be changed. That means talking directly to them. I find 10% of the people will change their mind on "moral" principles. Family , business-success and Health are all directly affected by "moral standards"
I wish I could vote for him, campaign for him. Rather than focusing on his boring rapsheet defending unborn children, people should be focusing on McCaskill's 100% pro-abortion record with NARAL, among other things that she has said and done: http://ofallon.patch.com/blog_posts/what-will-claire-say-next-09516beb Vote for Todd Akin for US Senate!
Thanks for your continued support for Todd Akin. The more that I have read up on his "comments", the more I am convinced that he has a savvy command of free-market principles, and he poses a threat to all Big Government types, including Claire McCaskill. I cannot vote for the man, but I am there in spirit with all the Akin supporters. Thanks again, Liz! Go Todd Go!
Ron Paul did the same thing for his district. Still, every voter in this country must press our leaders to get our troops out of Afghanistant and bring them home! One thing's for sure -- McCaskill will be rubber stamp for spending, far worse than anything Todd would do.
Akin brought back earmarks for his district, has voted to raise the debt ceiling, voted for off-balance-sheet wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and voted to create the unfunded Medicare prescription drug benefit. I am not sure if he favors Mitt's trillion dollar increase to big government via defense spending, but I suspect he does. And Artie, your trolling and misinformed comments on Missouri politics have turned even more voters away from the very poor candidate that is Todd Akin. So thanks Artie. Go Claire Go! Go Clair Go!
You never know, those shares could pay off. Aready early reports of GOP voter suppression tactics in full swing. Nice guys like you fanning out across the nation.
Assuming you're not a felon, I hope you take the time to vote today in California. I'd wish you luck, but I sincerely hope you end up frustrated at the end of the day. I'll wish you health, instead...