As annoying as robo-pollsters can be, it\u2019s often worth picking up the phone, answering the questions, and sticking with it until the end, because you can never be sure exactly where they\u2019re going, and the end can be quite intriguing. Case in point, the Public Policy Poll I answered tonight.<\/p>\n

It started with a series of boilerplate political questions:<\/p>\n

Do you have a positive or negative opinion of Mitt Romney? President Obama?<\/p>\n

Do you have a positive or negative opinion of Paul Ryan? Joe Biden?<\/p>\n

Do you approve or disapprove\u00a0 of President Obama\u2019s performance?<\/p>\n

Etc.<\/p>\n

Note that I got this call at 7:15 pm on Monday, August 20, while I was sitting in front of my TV, watching MSNBC\u2019s \u201cThe Ed Show,\u201d the subject of which was, of course, the Todd Akin \u201clegitimate rape\u201d debacle.<\/p>\n

I was tempted to bail on the call, but I\u2019m glad I didn\u2019t, because the final set of questions started with\u2026\u201dIf Todd Akin dropped out\u2026\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0Wow.<\/p>\n

So, less than 36 hours after Akin made his imbecilic remark on The Jaco Report, somebody\u2014is trying to figure the next move by trying to determine who the best or worst opponent would be for Claire McCaskill.<\/p>\n

And the choices were fascinating. The poll floated a plethora of Missouri Republicans who might get the nod from the MO GOP, if Akin takes the dive that every Republican leader in America wants him to.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the question, with the various\u00a0 [less horrifying to Repubs than Akin] options, and my comments in ital.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Todd Akin dropped out, and the Republican candidate was\u2026[option here], would you vote for the Republican or for Claire McCaskill?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah Steelman \u00a0[former Missouri State Treasurer. She finished third in the August 7 primary]<\/p>\n

John Bruenner [wealthy businessman who spent $7 million of his own money on the primary. He finished second.]<\/p>\n

John Ashcroft \u00a0[They\u2019re trotting out former Bush-administration Attorney General Ashcroft?.]<\/p>\n

Jim Talent [The incumbent US Senator that McCaskill beat in 2006.]<\/p>\n

Jo Ann Emerson [Current US Congressman from Missouri\u2019s 8^{th<\/sup> District]<\/p>\n}

Personally, I\u2019m hoping that this poll is rendered moot by an Akin decision to forge ahead, listen to God\u2019s voice in his ear, and stay on the ticket.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As annoying as robo-pollsters can be, it\u2019s often worth picking up the phone, answering the questions, and sticking with it until the end, because<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1176,162,119,16,877],"tags":[187,1670,1689],"yoast_head":"\n