Fresh off the heels of Rep. Todd Akin's controversial comments, his constituents in Missouri's 2nd Congressional District seemed to share mixed feelings on his response and whether they'll be supporting him or not in his bid to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.
"I cringed," Beverly Johnson said from the front porch of the store she works at in historic St. Charles.
Johnson is a Republican who said she has voted for Akin in the past and generally has agreed with him on his stance on abortion. She feels he should have worded it differently, but doesn't feel he needs to consider dropping out-at least not yet.
"Let's let it play out and see what happens," she said.
Jennifer Derfeld identifies as an independent, and said she has voted for him in the past. But in this Senate race, she says, she's been leaning toward McCaskill. His latest comments only solidified her intent.
"[It's] kind of like a slap in the face for any rape victim," she said. "I don't understand where he would come up with that. I mean either you have been raped or you have not been raped. It's not legitimate or illegitimate. It's very condescending."
Gene Wood, however, thinks the media may be making a mountain out of a molehill when it comes to Akin's comments. Wood is a Republican who voted for Akin in his U.S. House races and in the recent primary campaign that got him on the ballot opposite McCaskill.
"I think he used a word that in reflection he wouldn't use again, like the word legitimate," Wood said, adding that he probably meant to use the word "forcible."
"This is just a matter of semantics. I think people are looking for something to accuse Todd [of] or drag him down when I don't think he said anything that's really worth all the coverage that it's getting."
Wood sees no reason for Akin to consider dropping out of the race.
Comments