Whether Todd Akin stays or goes comes down to how much money the grassroots of the conservative wing of the Republican Party throws his way in the next 12-24 hours. Establishment Republicans and the national party committees have yanked their support, and for a time earlier this afternoon that looked like it would be enough to shove Akin out of the Senate race. But Akin says he’s in it to win it — and, oh, send me money. The only thing propping up Akin, even in his own mind, is the notion that the grassroots can supply enough cash to sustain a campaign. But he needs more than a notion. He needs to see real results and fast. I wouldn’t rule it out. Rogue Republicans were a hallmark of the 2010 campaign. The main difference between Akin and Sharron Angle or Christine O’Donnell is that he’s a sitting member of Congress. Less rogue, perhaps, but also less easy to dismiss. How much money can he raise in the next 24 hours — and how much of it will come from self-interested Dems trying to keep him in the race?

David Kurtz

David Kurtz is Managing Editor and Washington Bureau Chief of Talking Points Memo where he oversees the news operations of TPM and its sister sites.