I also read the story about Akin's remarks with disbelief and horror. TWIL and I talked about it extensively yesterday. We disagreed about some parts and agreed about some parts. Both of us agree that Akin is a dumbass and that his remark is legitimately stupid. We disagree about whether or not Akin actually believes what he said the first time, "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down". I contend that he doesn't really believe it and that it was just stupid pandering. I just find it hard to believe despite their alluring mystery, believing this statement indicates a lack of understanding about where babies come from that every ten year old I've ever met already knows. TWIL on the other hand thinks that it he's just stupid. Hard to say. I think it is clear that he's pandering--"look how hardcore I am--no abortion, no way, no how". And, though it saddens me, I think many of the people he directs such a message to may well believe his statement.
His follow up remarks, and I paraphrase: "I misspoke. Rape victims are understandably emotional, and while I have great sympathy for them I don't believe that harsh punishment is fair to the innocent child".
Misspoke? Yes, yes he did. He mistakenly spoke his thoughts when the right thing to do would have been to keep his mouth shut in range of a hot mike. I believe he believes this is the right way to think and act. Just look at his "clarification". He says he misspoke, right. But then he quickly switches to how emotional these women are and that the bad guys (assuming the rape was, you know, legitimate) should be punished but not the baby. Think of the children! No retraction, no "wow, that came out wrong, let me set the record straight", nothing like that. This is his position. It just...smacks of victim blaming to me, like he thinks there's no risk for the woman.
When I read through Google News' front page, I see news items from everywhere (well, it seems like everywhere, but how would I know?). Fox News is a very prominent name in lots of the world news and US news and political news sections, etc. In reading about this story, they were very conspicuously absent from the top thirty or forty providers of this story. I went to FoxNews.com and looked for the article. I *did* find it, but it's pretty well buried. Not something Fox's editorial and journalistic standards for important news. Unsurprising.
