Tuesday night’s American election results were reason to celebrate for those who believe in a “war on women.” Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri defended her seat against Representative Todd Akin, infamous for his comments about “legitimate rape,” with a margin of over 10 percent.
McCaskill wasn’t doing that well in the polls until Akin said in an interview that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant and that the female body “has ways to shut that whole things down.” After the comments were picked up by national media outlets, McCaskill surged in the polls and prominent conservatives called for Akin to step down.
Although Republicans initially distanced themselves from Akin, in the last few weeks leading up to the election they spent over $600,000 on his campaign. Last week, an ad was released by the Akin camp featuring a rape victim who says she is supporting him.
In the ad, a woman named Kelly says she is a single mother, and “a woman who has had an abortion, I’ve been raped in the past.”
“The reason I’m voting for Todd and I’m so proud of him is because he defends the unborn. He’s a kind man, he’s a compassionate man, he has so much integrity,” she says.
Even this creepy ad couldn’t help Akin. In his concession speech, Akin compared himself to people who have suffered from cancer, saying people like him “suffer from cancer, loss of a job, house, loved ones and they press on. They’re the backbone of America. When called, they’ll risk their lives for their country or their community, but they don’t think of themselves as particularly special. They don’t look to government for special deals, but they do think that the government should respect our hard-earned tax dollars that it collects. In short, they love God, they love their families and they love our country.”
Akin added, “You know, we believe that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness come from almighty God, not an almighty government … and we believe that the Constitution is not a list of suggestions.”
Although I’m not American, and the election of a senator in Missouri probably won’t affect my life, I can’t help but feel relieved that someone like Akin is not headed to Washington to help lead the country. Not only is Akin a supporter of removing access to reproductive health services for women, he is also against providing fair pay to women. I’m glad Missouri voters are not paying any more attention to this ridiculous man.
