Todd Akin on the GOP ticket?

[TJ in Oregon]

I'd rather have him on the Supreme Court to end the barbaric practice of abortion. He is one of few left in the GOP who cares about life.

Few people have done more damage to the pro-life movement in recent history than Todd Akin. His comments helped the Democrats to redirect the abortion debate away from a discussion on whether or not a child deserves a chance at life regardless of the circumstances of his or her conception to once about "legitimate rape", which suggests many rapes are not legitimately rape. So instead of talking about the dignity of the human person, we're talking about whether or not women were really raped. And all of this was done to try and latch on to an argument for convenience' sake that wasn't actually true.

[HAnnA MArin County]

This clown is a legitimate embarrassment to our state.

Now I know how Alaska must feel.

[Dixie Reborn]

This is dumber than the Romney/Pawlenty "discuss with maps" thread that just popped up.

[Dixie Reborn]

I'd rather have him on the Supreme Court to end the barbaric practice of abortion. He is one of few left in the GOP who cares about life.

What if a future president legit decided to troll the country and nominate this guy for SCOTUS?

[IceSpear]

He's baaack...

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/todd-akin-rape-comment-misspoke-109036.html?ml=po_r

[user12345]

Is he too stupid to realize that everytime he opens his mouth more people hate him?

[Maistre]

Is he too stupid to realize that everytime he opens his mouth more people hate him?

It pays to be controversial now that he has a book out.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Only if Christine O'Donnell is invited as well.

Excellent question, Ice Spear. I do see Huckabee picking Akin as a VP. If Huckabee is nominated, he would want someone just like him as a running mate and while it would be too theocratic, establishment Republicans may stay home.

I'd stay home and wouldn't think twice.

Oh dear, how will the GOP ever win without the swing voters of Maine?

Just sharing input.

[pbrower2a]

Suitable choice for VP... for someone who has no reasonable expectation of winning the Presidency. 

VP nominees who had never won a statewide race before being a nominee for VP since WWII:

William Miller 1964
Sargent Shriver 1972
Geraldine Ferraro 1984
Jack Kemp 1996
Paul Ryan 2014

All lost -- badly.

...Dick Cheney at least had won an at-large US House seat (even if from Wyoming).

[dmmidmi]

He's baaack...

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/todd-akin-rape-comment-misspoke-109036.html?ml=po_r

My favorite part (beyond how he still doesn't understand that what he originally said is insane) is how he explained that several of his staff members were "conceived in rape." As if that's like saying, "I have a few gay friends."

Some people are probably saying he should go away. I can't wait to hear more.

[Vega]

I think it would be more likely that he run for his House seat again.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I think it would be more likely that he run for his House seat again.

He won't even win that.  He won't even win a GOP primary.  Folks view him as creepy, and rightly so.

[Badger]

He's baaack...

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/todd-akin-rape-comment-misspoke-109036.html?ml=po_r

My favorite part (beyond how he still doesn't understand that what he originally said is insane) is how he explained that several of his staff members were "conceived in rape." As if that's like saying, "I have a few gay friends."

Some people are probably saying he should go away. I can't wait to hear more.

He even retracted his prior apology over the comments.

Class act.

[Mister Mets]

Suitable choice for VP... for someone who has no reasonable expectation of winning the Presidency. 

VP nominees who had never won a statewide race before being a nominee for VP since WWII:

William Miller 1964
Sargent Shriver 1972
Geraldine Ferraro 1984
Jack Kemp 1996
Paul Ryan 2014

All lost -- badly.

...Dick Cheney at least had won an at-large US House seat (even if from Wyoming).

Todd Akin will never be on a Republican ticket, but I do want to address the idea that running mates need to have been elected to statewide office.

The Veep has little to do with the election results. Goldwater wasn't going to win with a Senator as his running mate, nor would McGovern or Mondale have done much better with a Governor. Romney's loss was much narrower than the other four.

There is some selection bias here. Statewide office holders are less likely to join as running mates for candidates who look like they'll lose big. Candidates who are more likely to lose (and who tend to lose) are more likely to make decisions that leave them with small selection pools.

You did leave out one Veep: George HW Bush, a former congressman who lost both of his bids for Senate. He did okay.