The media keeps saying that Todd Akin "faces a deadline" to get out of the race

[brentspeak]

Meaning, Akin has until 5 pm CT today to withdraw from the race without a court order:

Washington Post: Todd Akin faces 5 p.m. deadline to get out of Senate race as GOP waits

St. Louis Dispatch: Deadline nears for Mo. candidates to withdraw

NPR: As Deadline To Drop Out Nears, Rep. Akin's Best Defender Is His Opponent

But it's not really Akin who faces a deadline -- it's the Republicans who face the deadline. They are the ones sweating this out. The pressure is on them to force Akin out of the race. They are the ones who would be stuck with a damaged candidate who might help the Democrats retain the Senate. Akin, who's already been legally nominated, doesn't have to do a damn thing.

The GOP has spent the past 30 years cynically exploiting religious conservative ideology to gather a large voter bloc in various regional parts of the nation -- even though the GOP leadership itself (and especially the millionaires and billionaires who are they really work for) actually doesn't personally give a rat's a$$ about God, gays, abortion, and guns. Now that their 30-year plan has finally produced an outrageously embarrassing national soundbite that instantly exposes to average, nationwide voters just how deeply the GOP has happily allied itself with wackjobs, the Republicans want to run away from their creation and pretend that they had nothing to do with it.

[librechik]

1. yup--and the Repubs already took their Akin money out, prvate$ and party$

there must be somebody else they can boost now who might still get the the Senate. That money will go there.

As for Akin, he's on his own. They don't care whether he lives or dies at this point. It's a writeoff.

I wonder who the lucky swing state candidate is?

[JPZenger]

2. He simply needs a judge to OK it if he quits after today

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. I shot off an e-mail to NPR ...

the moment I got to work saying essentially the same thing ... it is NOT akin's deadline; but the gop's deadline. If akin refuses to step aside, he has lost nothing ... except gop dollars in retaliation for his pressing his campaign.

On the other hand, if akin refuses to step down, the gop might be hurt.

I ended with "NPR ... Words really do matter!"

[HopeHoops]

4. Technically, he faces two, but the later one is harder to accomplish.

If he bows out now (Tuesday), the GOP can appoint a replacement. If he waits another five weeks, it will take a court order WITHOUT A CHALLENGE to get out, and that's not likely.

[lastlib]

5. We have a good Dem SOS (Robin Carnahan) who would almost certainly challenge a withdrawal!

[coalition_unwilling]

7. I hate to beat a dead horse here, but Akin faces no 'deadline' to

withdraw of any kind. He has been duly nominated by Republican voters in Missouri.

Missouri Republicans and national Republicans, OTOH, face a deadline to force Akin to withdraw.

Words really do matter. The deadline is facing the Republican Party, not Akin.

[HopeHoops]

8. That's quite true.

[lastlib]

6. If he doesn't bail out today....

...I would look for someone like John Brunner to mount a write-in campaign. That would get nasty and cause all kinds of headaches for the GOPeee.