As Evan McMorris-Santoro just reported, in the face of overwhelming Republican machine demands for him to withdraw from the Missouri Senate race, Rep. Todd Akin (R) has just launched his “I’m Not Quitting’ ad campaign. And remember, it matters a good deal whether Akin drops out tomorrow or the day after, even assuming he drops out at all. Because the first deadline for getting out is tomorrow afternoon.
But beyond all those niceties, I’m surprised we don’t seem to remember how this goes.
Show me your middle-aged or older guy who lives and breathes politics, has been doing this most or all of his adult life and has been working for decades for this moment to grab for the brass ring. It just doesn’t matter how much Karl Rove or Reince Priebus thinks he’s got to go to preserve the party’s chances for the senate. That guy just isn’t going to give up what he’s been hungering for for a lifetime because of one bad news’ cycle.
The GOP has managed very quickly to close to asphyxiate Akin’s campaign. The NRSC, the RNC and Karl Rove’s Crossroads SuperPAC have all cut him loose, which means he’d be completely cut off from all the GOP big money. Still, it’s awful hard to pry these guys free.
