Todd Akin

{{bronze}}[[File:Todd Akin, official 109th Congress photo.jpg|thumb|165px|Trust me, I have a forehead.]]{{uspolitics}}
'''Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin''' {{lived|1947|2021}} was a [[Republican]] former [[House of Representatives|Congressman]] from [[Missouri]] and an international laughingstock. He was most famous for losing what had been considered a slam-dunk [[United States Senate|Senate]] race against vulnerable incumbent Claire McCaskill in [[2012 U.S. Presidential Election|2012]], thanks to some ''interesting'' comments regarding [[pregnancy]] resulting from [[rape]].

==Legitimate rape==
During his campaign, Akin was asked in an interview on KTVI-TV about his views on [[abortion]] and pregnancies resulting from rape.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/19/todd-akin-abortion-legitimate-rape_n_1807381.html?utm_hp_ref=todd-akin Todd Akin On Abortion: 'Legitimate Rape' Victims Have 'Ways To Try To Shut That Whole Thing Down'], ''Huffington Post''</ref> His infamous response, in full:

{{quotebox|It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.}}

Unsurprisingly, this is utter nonsense. Victims of rape are actually more likely to get pregnant from sex than women who have said sex consensually.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2012/08/20/study-rape-victims-have-a-higher-pregnancy-rates-than-other-women/</ref> 

This quote caused outrage among pretty much every decent person in the [[United States]]. His opponent, McCaskill, condemned his comments, releasing a statement that she "has worked closely with hundreds of rape victims and intimately understands their trauma and pain. It is that experience that makes Akin's statements so outrageous." <ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/us/politics/rep-todd-akin-legitimate-rape-statement-and-reaction.html</ref> His Republican buddies also turned on him; [[Mitt Romney]] called his comments "insulting, inexcusable and, frankly, wrong" and Scott Brown (R-[[MA]]) called them "outrageous, inappropriate and wrong." It is basically like saying you can only be killed by a "legitimate murder".

Akin apologized for the quote's dismissive attitude, saying he misspoke — and then went even further, clarifying that he meant "[[Rape apology#...it's not "forcible"|forcible rape]]" and not "legitimate rape."<ref>[http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/08/20/akin_when_i_was_talking_about_legitimate_rape_i_meant_forcible_rape.html Akin: When I Was Talking About "Legitimate" Rape, I Meant "Forcible" Rape], ''Slate''</ref> [[Barack Obama]] reacted: "... the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we are talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me."

Akin's views were weird, but not idiosyncratic: he was repeating bogus biology that is actually common in fundie circles.<ref name="Freind">{{cite news|last=Kliff |first=Sarah |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/08/20/rep-todd-akin-is-wrong-about-rape-and-pregnancy-but-hes-not-alone/ |title=Rep. Todd Akin is wrong about rape and pregnancy, but he's not alone |publisher=The Washington Post |date=August 20, 2012 |accessdate=2012-08-22}}</ref> His error was saying it out loud where people could hear it, rather than [[dog whistle politics|dog whistling]] to his base.

Akin's monumental fuckup caused him to lose utterly to McCaskill, 54.7% to 39.2% (with 6.1% going to Jonathan Dine, the [[Libertarian Party]] candidate).

In a 
predictable
 stunning turn of events, Akin "apologized" in his concisely-named 2014 book ''Firing Back: Taking on the Party Bosses and Media Elite to Protect our Faith and Freedom'', writing: "My comment about a woman’s body shutting the pregnancy down was [[Bullshit|directed to the impact of stress on fertilization]]. This is something fertility doctors debate and discuss... Doubt me? [[Google]] 'stress and infertility,' and you will find a library of research on the subject."<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/todd-akin-new-book-108745.html#ixzz37Y5mhBwE Todd Akin returns to national stage], ''Politico'' (There actually is a [http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/features/infertility-stress documented link between stress and infertility], but stress needs to be ''chronic'' for it to have an impact on fertilization.)</ref> He also claimed that he meant "legitimate rape" as a law-enforcement term, which of course it isn't either.<ref>Charlotte Alter, [http://time.com/3001785/todd-akin-legitimate-rape-msnbc-child-of-rape/ Todd Akin Still Doesn't Get What's Wrong With Saying 'Legitimate Rape']. Time, 17 July 2014.</ref>

Notwithstanding the fact that he failed 8th-grade health class, Akin sat on the [[House Committee on Science, Space and Technology]].

==In Akin's world==
*Abortion providers are "[[terrorist]]s," because [[Not even wrong|they sometimes perform abortions on women who "are not actually pregnant."]]<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/todd-akin-abortion-providers_n_1934305.html Todd Akin In 2008: Doctors Give Abortions To Women Who Aren't Pregnant], ''Huffington Post''</ref>
*There is no [[science]] behind [[evolution]].<ref>[http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/10/12/1003121/todd-akin-no-science-behind-evolution/ Todd Akin: No ‘Science’ Behind Evolution], Think Progress</ref>
*If you criticized him on the issue of his previously mentioned statements, he whined. How much? He compared the criticism to being [[Fatwa envy|beheaded by Muslim extremists]]. In addition, he [[Godwin]]ned.<ref>[http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/todd-akin-compares-criticism-his-remarks-beheadings-islamic-extremists Todd Akin Compares Criticism of his Remarks to Beheadings by Islamic Extremists], Right Wing Watch</ref>

After his rape comments, he launched a "Missouri Women Standing With Todd Akin" campaign with help from none other than [[Phyllis Schlafly]].<ref>[https://archive.is/YoY36 Yes, he ''had'' a website.] Archived from akin.org, 7 July 2013.</ref>

==Past cunning stunts==
In 1987, he was arrested for blocking a reproductive services clinic for the usual predictable reasons<ref>[http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/todd-akin-arrested-may-9-1987-radical-anti-abortion-group Todd Akin Arrested on May 9, 1987 with Radical Anti-Abortion Group], Right Wing Watch</ref> and proudly recounted the story to a public [[anti-abortion]] demonstration in March 2011.<ref>[http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/todd-akin-recounts-arrest-anti-choice-demonstration Todd Akin Recounts Arrest at Anti-Choice Demonstration], Right Wing Watch</ref>

==See also==
*[[War on Women]] - Akin's little show is just one among the many demonstrations of the Republican Party's stunning lack of understanding of the female reproductive system.

==External links==
*[https://theonion.com/i-misspoke-what-i-meant-to-say-is-i-am-dumb-as-dog-shit-1819584771/ I Misspoke—What I Meant To Say Is 'I Am Dumb As Dog Shit And I Am A Terrible Human Being'], ''[[The Onion]]''

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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[[Category:Anti-abortion activists]]
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[[Category:Creationists]]
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[[Category:Former United States Representatives]]
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[[Category:United States politicians]]
[[Category:War on science]]

Categories: Anti-abortion activists, Authors, Christians, Creationists, Denialists, Former United States Representatives, Gun nuts, Right-wing activists, Sexists, Tea Party, United States politicians, War on science