Looks like Todd Akin, instantly infamous for his "legitimate rape" comments, still holds a slim lead over Claire McCaskill. Yes,
the poll was conducted after the controversy erupted; although it was a flash poll (with all the problems associated with same), the numbers seem persuasive.
The lack of movement speaks to a couple of things. One is the hyper polarization these days in American politics. Voters just aren't inclined to vote cross party lines with their voters regardless of the circumstances. And the other thing it speaks to is McCaskill's continued unpopularity. Only 41% of voters approve of the job she's doing to 53% who disapprove and for many voters their dislike of McCaskill trumps their concerns about Akin.
Propaganda triumphs again. The antipathy toward McCaskill is not really about McCaskill (although gender may play a role); this election is all about the Obama administration. Of course, the Fox-addled, Koched-up voters in that state aren't angry about the
real Obama, as I am. They're furious about the fake Obama -- the socialist Obama, the Muslim Obama, the apologizing-for-America Obama -- created by the right-wing misinformation machine.