Back in 2007 when there were a mere 17 Duggar children.
Todd Akin has picked up a whole bunch more
endorsements from women—10 of them, in fact:
Nearly two months after controversial comments on rape made Rep. Todd Akin a political pariah, all 21 members of America’s largest reality television family are scheduled to make campaign appearances for the embattled Missouri senate candidate. [...]
The Duggars, who share Akin’s pro-life views, are hoping to bring their wholesome family charm to Akin’s campaign, which is trying to close the gap between the congressman and Sen. Claire McCaskill.
Michelle Duggar will speak today at the “Missouri Women Standing with Todd Akin” in Springfield. She will be joined by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s wife, Janet. The entire family is slated to make appearances in the final 20 days leading up to the election.
Of course, they're not from Missouri, only five of them are old enough to vote, and family patriarch Jim Bob is without a doubt the final arbiter of who the family endorses, but aside from the geographic issue that's probably the kind of support from women Akin is most comfortable with, anyway. If more Missouri voters agreed with Michelle Duggar that these are solid
tips for a happy marriage, Akin would doubtless hold a commanding lead against Sen. Claire McCaskill (a woman, for crying out loud):
1. A husband needs a wife who respects him as a man: This one states that a woman destroys her husband’s manliness by “being financially independent; Love is killed by self-sufficiency.”
2. A husband needs a wife who accepts him as a leader and believes in his God-given responsibilities
3. A husband needs a wife who will continue to develop inward and outward beauty: Your hairstyle, for example, can show “obedience vs defiance” and “personal discipline vs inconsistency,” among many other things. [...]
6. A husband needs a wife who is grateful for all he has done and all he is doing: “Expect nothing and be genuinely grateful for each little evidence of your husband’s love.”
While endorsements are always of questionable value, the Duggars shouldn't be dismissed as just reality television nonsense. They command a significant following in some evangelical Christian and homeschooling circles, and their mainstream TV celebrity means they'll draw headlines and attention to Akin's campaign. In January, the Duggars
endorsed Rick Santorum for president and campaigned for him in Iowa, giving him a real publicity boost in the final days before the Iowa caucus. That said, the Duggars' specific niche appeal may make them most useful in a Republican primary and limit the help they can give Akin, who presumably has the Christian conservative vote locked down tight and needs help with independent voters.
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar probably don't think much of the women on the Daily Kos Orange to Blue list. For one thing, women running for office to be leaders of men. For another, potentially defiant hair. But it's time to weaken the voices that say women shouldn't lead.
Please give $3 to each of our Daily Kos-endorsed women candidates for the House and Senate, defiant hair and all.