“How stupid. These guys think they are going to get rid of Medicare and Social Security. That’s not going to happen.”
This was Betty Anne McCaskill speaking on a video played at the campaign celebration for her daughter, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, at the Chase Park Plaza on Tuesday night.
“These guys” are Republicans like Todd Akin, and Betty Ann – who died at age 84 just a week before her daughter’s reelection – was exactly right about their electoral fate in 2012.
Claire McCaskill beat Akin soundly by more than 400,000 votes, with the election called before the state’s urban precincts, where most Democrats vote, had reported.
“Mom, we finally won rural Missouri,” McCaskill said when she took the podium at the Chase.
“Legitimately!” someone yelled from the crowd – a reference to Akin’s bizarre claim that victims of “legitimate rape” have the bodily power to void a pregnancy without undergoing an abortion.
Prompted by an interview question posed by Charles Jaco of KTVI St. Louis, Akin’s bizarre “legitimate rape” statement led to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney calling for Akin to leave the race. It spiked McCaskill’s campaign immediately, giving credence to her campaign’s basic claim that Akin was too extreme for Missouri.
“You wanted nothing more complicated than a government that reflects your values,” McCaskill told the crowd at the Chase, which was very diverse by race, gender and age.
Among the crowded ballroom of election result watchers was Tishaura O. Jones, who was elected St. Louis Treasurer on Tuesday night.
“Thank you, Jesus,” Jones said of Senator McCaskill beating Akin.
“With her victory, we saw that extremism really doesn’t play in Missouri. Missourians appreciate candidates who can represent all of Missouri. Look at Claire’s record – she is right in the middle. She is progressive where she needs be and conservative where she needs to be. I appreciate her leadership and am grateful to send her back to DC.”
“Claire is a voice of reason in a city, Washington, D.C., that is filled with a lot of shrill voices,” St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay told The American. “Given the extreme nature of his views, to have elected Todd Akin would have been an embarrassment for the state. It’s fitting he was beat by a huge margin.”
According to unofficial results posted on the Secretary of State’s website, McCaskill had 1,484,683 votes to Akin’s 1,063,698. That’s 54.7 percent to 39.2 percent.
“The impact Akin’s comments had all across the state was really telling,” said Lewis Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen. “The exit polls were showing 70 percent of women voting for Claire.”
“Six more years!” McCaskill pumped her fist at the end of her brief remarks at the Chase.
Clay wins general election
In a formality for a Democrat running to represent the city of St. Louis in the U.S. Congress, U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay was reelected to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, which was redrawn following the 2010 Census to include southern precincts in the city that previously fell in the 3rd Congressional District.
“I am truly humbled by the tremendous support for my re-election,” Clay told The American. “It is an honor for me to represent the 1st Congressional District. I never take it for granted, and I never forget who hires me to do this job. Thank you, and let’s go to work!”
“I am looking forward to working with congressman on a lot of issues related to the Treasurer’s office, especially since he serves on the House’s Financial Services Committee,” Jones said. “The city has an awesome ally in that office. It’s a daunting task, in that his district has grown and he has a lot more ground to cover, but I think he will do a great job doing it.”
“Of course, with Clay we have very good leadership for our city and region, and we have a great relationship,” Mayor Slay said. “We have the right kind of leadership – to work with President Obama and Claire and Congressman Clay to the maximum benefit of our city.”
