Akin trails McCaskill by 10 points in Rasmussen poll

Ramussen reports that “Claire McCaskill has now jumped to a 10-point lead over her Republican challenger, Congressman Todd Akin, in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race.” Before Akin delivered his infamous comment about rape and pregenancy, polls showed him leading by as much as 11 points.

This is a very bad poll for Akin, and for Republicans, But I doubt that it’s bad enough, in itself, to induce Akin to quit the race, given that he desperately wants to carry on.

Akin likely will believe that he can surmount a 10 point lead as he reconnects with voters and as the furor over his remark decreases. If anything drives Akin out, presumably it will be funding problems, to the extent they prove severe.

UPDATE: The New York Times does its part to encouarge Akin not to quit. It suggests that Akin still has a fair shot at defeating McCaskill.

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