The full weight of the Republican Party is now bearing down on Akin to leave the race in the wake of his “legitimate rape” remarks. Crossroads GPS has announced it is pulling its ads. Mitt Romney has condemned Akin’s comments. Several of Akin’s potential GOP Senate colleagues have asked him to withdraw from the race. NRSC chair John Cornyn has released a statement that stops just short of that.

It’s a rare showdown between a national party and one of its most important nominees, a situation that will serve as a case study in the power of party institutions at a time when the political establishment is in disrepute.

It’s hard to see how Akin recovers from a controversy of this magnitude – one that has Republicans up and down the ticket and across the nation denouncing him. His fundraising, already unimpressive, is going to dry up. The air cover is going to go away. Support from the national party will be non-existent because of Akin’s toxicity…

In other words, it’s likely that his candidacy is terminal.

I won’t hate Todd Akin officially unless he refuses to withdraw from the Missouri Senate race. If he does withdraw, honorably sacrificing his personal interests to save the country, it will be time for all good men to rally around Akin as an American patriot…

He’s not a talk radio host. He’s not sitting around shooting the breeze in a college dorm room. This is a politician who should have a clear, nonthreatening answer at the ready for the most cliched question in the MSM’s playbook.

This is no time for another foot-in-the-mouth, Trent Lott Republican to be dominating the national political discussion. The country is at stake…

I’m sure Rep. Akin worked hard and is probably a good Republican in many other ways. But Republicans can’t risk these kinds of mistakes. Not this year.

Akin has backed off from his remarks, albeit with the politician’s excuse of “misspeaking.” People who make such remarks on television are typically capable of making more like them, or rather incapable of exercising the judgment to refrain. We suspect that this same lack of judgment will cause Akin to blow past tomorrow evening’s deadline for him to leave the race and allow the Republicans to select a better nominee. We hope the congressman, who surely wants to see a Senate with as much conservative strength as possible next year, will prove us wrong.

I understand the outrage many of my friends and fellow conservatives feel about the double standards the Right faces when it comes to media/political treatment of other politicians’ stupidity (looking at you, Bozo the VP). But the question Akin faced wasn’t some obscure, gotcha question. It was basic abortion politics 101. His statement about the remarks issued yesterday doesn’t even acknowledge the worst part of his botched answer.

GOP candidates in critical races that could swing the balance of the U.S. Senate ought to be ready for prime time. Period…

The question for Republicans in Missouri is whether sticking by self-inflicted-wounded Akin is more important than securing a U.S. Senate majority.

Via Mediaite.

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