McCaskills campaign ran ads during the GOP primary calling Akin the "most conservative" candidate. - Edit 1
Before modification by Joel at 24/08/2012 04:15:23 AM
The Republican Party has asked him to step out of the race and they are refusing to give him any support or money. The only one who wants him in the race is the democrats because it gives them the opportunity to have some manufactured outrage to distract from their failures and the media is happy to play along. One thing that is being ignored by the media is that the democrats spent 1.5 million to help him win so the same people who are the most shocked and offended by his comments are partially responsible for him even being in the race and if he wins they have no one to blame but themselves.
The Democrats are definitely happy to have Akin in the spotlight as long as possible- he's basically the iconic capstone to a year of escalating "Republicans vs. Women" incidents- but what's that about them spending money to help him win?
It actually has been reported pretty widely, and was at the time. It was also unethical, IMHO, but hard to get worked up about since it also happens to be true. McCaskill decided the most radical Republican gave her the best shot in a hopeless re-election campaign and, since the GOP base demands them, primary ads calling the most radical Republican just that were a win-win: If he won she would face the weakest opponent after months of defining him as a radical, about the only chance she had. The latest polls I have seen show she STILL trails by a couple points.
Anyway, that is the meat of it as I understand it. It was crass electioneering, but completely truthful. If the GOP base in a swing state responded to "he is the most conservative" with "THAT'S OUR GUY!" maybe Dem claims he reflects the whole party have merit.