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Rape and pregnancy controversies in United States elections, 2012
DateAugust 19, 2012 (2012-08-19) - November 6, 2012 (2012-11-06)
ParticipantsTodd Akin, Richard Mourdock, Steve King, Roscoe Bartlett, Tom Smith, Jim Buchy, Roger Rivard, Joe Walsh, John Koster

During the 2012 United States election cycle, a series of controversies arose as a result of statements by Republican Party candidates about rape, pregnancy, contraception, abortion, and related topics. The first and most widely covered controversy concerned Republican U.S. Representative Todd Akin of Missouri, who was the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat. He stated that pregnancy rarely occurs as a result of what he called "legitimate rape." Akin's comments had a far-reaching political impact, changing the focus of campaigns across the country to the so-called "War on Women."[1][2]

Following Akin's comments, additional controversies about comments made by other socially conservative Republican candidates arose. The most notable of these was Indiana State Treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, who said that pregnancy from rape was "something that God intended", triggering another nationwide controversy. Some observers identified Mourdock's and Akin's comments as a principal factor in their election losses and other comments may have contributed to the loss of various other candidates.[3] The comments may have had an effect on the national election results, especially among women voters.[4]

Background

See also: Pregnancy from rape

When pro-lifers speak of rape pregnancies, we should commonly use the phrase "forcible rape" or "assault rape," for that specifies what we're talking about. Rape can also be statutory. Depending upon your state law, statutory rape can be consensual, but we're not addressing that here .... Assault rape pregnancies are extremely rare.

.... What is certainly one of the most important reasons why a rape victim rarely gets pregnant, and that's physical trauma. Every woman is aware that stress and emotional factors can alter her menstrual cycle. To get and stay pregnant, a woman's body must produce a very sophisticated mix of hormones. Hormone production is controlled by a part of the brain that is easily influenced by emotions. There's no greater emotional trauma that can be experienced by a woman than an assault rape. This can radically upset her possibility of ovulation, fertilization, implantation, and even nurturing of a pregnancy. So, what further percentage reduction in pregnancy will this cause? No one knows, but this factor certainly cuts this last figure by at least 50 percent and probably more.

John C. Willke, Rape Pregnancies are Rare (1999)[5]

The medically inaccurate contention favored by some American anti-abortion activists that pregnancy consequent to rape is an exceptional occurrence first originated four decades ago in the work of Fred Mecklenburg.[6][7] Then an assistant clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Minnesota Medical School,[7] Mecklenburg published an article in 1972 entitled "The Indications for Induced Abortion: A Physician's Perspective" in which he advanced three reasons for the putative near absence of pregnancy in instances of rape.[8] According to Mecklenburg's paper, these are: during the act of rape sexual intercourse is not always successfully completed; the probability of rape coinciding with a woman's ovulation period is low; and rape induced trauma impedes ovulation.[7] Despite the fact that it is without scientific validity,[6] the latter proposition, that trauma might function as a form of birth control,[5] has since been significant for some anti-abortion activists attempting to secure on unqualified ban on abortion and is typically advanced with reference to what is termed "forcible rape".[5][7][9] It emerged again, to great controversy, during the 2012 U.S. electoral cycle. Similar views have also been espoused by the former President of the National Right to Life Committee, the anti-abortion advocate and physician John C. Willke,[5] who argued in a 1985 text that the female body, when undergoing rape, can physiologically prevent conception.[9] Revisiting the claim in a 1999 article first published in the Life Issues Connector,[5] Willke stated: "There's no greater emotional trauma that can be experienced by a woman than an assault rape ... This can radically upset her possibility of ovulation, fertilization and implantation."[7] Willke, whose 1999 article has been posted on pro-life website such as Physicians for Life and Christian Life Resources,[5] opined in August 2012 that rape, "is a traumatic thing", and that women undergoing rape are: "frightened, tight and so on. And sperm, if deposited in her vagina, are less likely to be able to fertilize. The tubes are spastic."[9]

Several pro-life, Republican politicians have claimed in the years since Mecklenberg's 1972 publication that pregnancy from rape is rare. In 1975 Republican Senator Dewey F. Bartlett, tabling an unsuccessful legislative amendment that would have removed state funding for abortions, claimed: "A person who is raped very seldom becomes pregnant. Statistics show it is very rare."[10] Pennsylvania state representative Stephen Freind said in 1988 that the odds of a pregnancy resulting from rape were "one in millions and millions and millions."[11][12] James Leon Holmes published a letter in 1980 stating, "concern for rape victims is a red herring because conceptions from rape occur with approximately the same frequency as snowfall in Miami".[13] Holmes apologized for this remark in 2003 after he was nominated as a United States federal judge; he was confirmed in 2004.[13][14] In 1995, North Carolina House of Representatives member Henry Aldridge said during a debate to eliminate a state abortion fund for poor women: "The facts show that people who are raped—who are truly raped—the juices don't flow, the body functions don't work and they don't get pregnant. Medical authorities agree that this is a rarity, if ever."[15][5] In 1998, Arkansas state senator Fay Boozman lost a campaign for a US Senate seat after remarking that fear-induced hormonal changes made rape victims unlikely to become pregnant. He later apologized and called his claim a mistake, but the controversy was renewed in 1999 when governor Mike Huckabee appointed Boozman director of the Arkansas Department of Health.[16][17]

Todd Akin and "legitimate rape"

Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO)

Todd Akin, a long-time anti-abortion activist,[18] served as a Republican member of the House of Representatives for Missouri's 2nd congressional district from 2001 until 2013.[19] On 7 August 2012, Akin successfully contested the Republican primary to become his party's nominee for the U.S. Senate elections in Missouri.[20] Less than two weeks later, on August 19, Akin asserted that victims of what he termed "legitimate rape" rarely become pregnant. He made these remarks in an interview aired on the St. Louis television station KTVI-TV when asked whether women who are raped and become pregnant should have the option of abortion. He replied:

Well you know, people always want to try to make that as one of those things, well how do you, how do you slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question. First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.[21]

Akin's comments almost immediately led to uproar; the term "legitimate rape" was assumed to imply belief that some types of rape are "legitimate", or alternatively that rape victims who become pregnant are likely to be lying about their claim. Akin's comments were widely seen as being based on long-discredited pseudoscience; experts said the claims lacked any basis of medical validity.[22][23][24] Senior figures in both parties condemned his remarks and some called for him to resign his seat or abandon his Senate candidacy.[25][26][27][28] He stated that by "legitimate rape" he meant "forcible rape", stating, "I was talking about forcible rape...I used the wrong word".[29]

Akin apologized after making the comment, saying he "misspoke", and that he planned to remain in the Senate race. This response was itself attacked by many commentators. Akin's congressional record showed support for limits to abortion, as when he co-sponsored a bill that would make abortion illegal even in the case of rape.[30][31] Akin's comment was widely characterized as recklessly inaccurate; many commentators remarked on his use of the words "legitimate rape".[32][33][34] Immediately after the comment, Scott Ross of NBC said that Akin's comments affected his Senate candidacy. [35] During the crisis, Republican party officials were reported as stating that Akin's remarks had shifted "the national discussion to divisive social issues that could repel swing voters rather than economic issues that could attract them in a climate of high unemployment and stumbling recovery".[36]

Akin responded to the comments by issuing a press release stating:

As a member of Congress, I believe that working to protect the most vulnerable in our society is one of my most important responsibilities, and that includes protecting both the unborn and victims of sexual assault. In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve.[37]

On August 21, he issued a television commercial in which he said:

Rape is an evil act. I used the wrong words in the wrong way and for that I apologize. As the father of two daughters, I want tough justice for predators. I have a compassionate heart for the victims of sexual assault, and I pray for them. The fact is, rape can lead to pregnancy. The truth is, rape has many victims. The mistake I made was in the words I said, not in the heart I hold. I ask for your forgiveness.[38]

In relation to the resulting furor over his original "legitimate rape" comment, Akin said: "I talk about one word, one sentence, one day out of place, and, all of a sudden, the entire establishment turns on you."[39]

Reactions

Akin's remarks were strongly condemned by senior Republicans. The party's presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, said they were "inexcusable, insulting, and frankly, wrong."[27] and called for Akin to step down, as did Paul Ryan, Romney's vice presidential nominee.[40] The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said that "if he continues with this misguided campaign, it will be without the support and resources of the NRSC." Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Akin's remarks were "totally inexcusable" and "wildly offensive". Conservative commentators Sean Hannity, Charles Krauthammer, and Mark Levin called for Akin to step aside, as did the editorial teams of the Wall Street Journal and National Review,[41] nine sitting US Senators, four former Republican Missouri Senators: John Danforth, Kit Bond, James Talent and John Ashcroft, and serving Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt.[26][42] Fellow Republican Congressmen and Senate hopefuls Jeff Flake and Denny Rehberg also called for Akin's resignation.[43] Republican Political Action Committee American Crossroads announced it would cut off all aid to Akin's candidacy.[44]

There were multiple calls from Republicans for him to step down as nominee. The Washington Post reported a "stampede" of Republicans dissociating from Akin as part of damage control. NRSC chairman John Cornyn said the Republican Party would no longer provide him with Senate election funding and that Akin was "endangering Republicans’ hopes of retaking the majority in the Senate".[45] A campaign spokesman for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan said both candidates disagreed with Akin's position and would not oppose abortion in instances of rape. According to Politico, Ryan telephoned Akin to advise him to step aside.[46] RNC Chairman Reince Priebus warned Akin not to attend the upcoming 2012 Republican convention and said he should resign the nomination. He described Akin's comments as "biologically stupid" and "bizarre" and said that, "This is not mainstream talk that he's referring to and his descriptions of whatever an illegitimate rape is. We're hoping he hears [these calls to drop out of the race]".[28][47]

Akin was defended by some social conservative organizations, including the Family Research Council. A spokesman for the Council said that "We feel this is a case of gotcha politics ... We know who Todd Akin is. We've worked with him up on the hill. He's a defender of life."[25] A representative of the American Family Association cited Willke's 1999 article to argue Akin "was exactly right".[24] In response to Republican demands that Akin resign, Personhood USA spokeswoman Jennifer Mason said that Akin's position "is an integral part of the Republican Party platform, the same position that was held by President Ronald Reagan" and that "[we] are left with Reagan Republicans, who agree with the Republican Party platform on abortion, and Romney Republicans, a fringe group of liberals who compromise on human life."[48][49] Mike Huckabee supported Akin by soliciting donations for his Senate campaign and accused the "Republican establishment" of a "carefully orchestrated and systematic attack."[50]

President Barack Obama responded to Akin's comments by saying "Rape is rape ... And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we're talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me."[51] His opponent in the Senate campaign, Senator Claire McCaskill stated that, "It is beyond comprehension that someone can be so ignorant about the emotional and physical trauma brought on by rape".[52]

Despite intense pressure to step aside, Akin resolved to remain in the race. On The Sean Hannity Show, he stated, "I was told that there is a decision has to be made by 5 o'clock tomorrow but I was calling you and letting you know that I'm announcing today that we're [staying] in."[53] On the Mike Huckabee show he said, "Rape is never legitimate ... I used the wrong words in the wrong way."[54] A national poll conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion showed that 84% of Americans disagreed with Akin's comments about "legitimate rape", and that 63% wanted him to drop out of the U.S. Senate race.[55]

After the election, Representative Phil Gingrey, an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor and member of several subcommittees and caucuses related to health, said that Akin was "partly right" when he said women's bodies can avoid pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape."[56] Gingrey also said he didn’t “find anything so horrible” about distinguishing “legitimate rape” from non-legitimate rape, which he defined as a false accusation.[57] Gingrey later said that his remarks were misconstrued.[58]

Political impact

Akin's comments were widely thought to be the main reason he lost the senatorial election.[59][60] Exit polls reported that 64% said the Akin's comment were important in their voting decision and those voters voted for Claire McCaskill by a 74% to 18% margin.[61] According to Jennifer Haberkorn of Politico, Akin lost his election bid because of a backlash from women voters.[62] A poll released on August 23 by Rasmussen Reports showed a steep drop in support for Akin among Missouri voters; McCaskill led Akin in this poll by roughly 10 points. Akin had earlier been in the lead.[63][64] Akin's comments encouraged new debates on the supposed Republican "War on Women".[1][65][66][67] Political analysts drew attention to Akin's co-sponsorship of anti-abortion bills with vice presidential candidate Ryan[68][69][70] and the Obama campaign tried to link Paul Ryan to Akin's remarks.[71] James Rowley of Businessweek wrote that the incident had drawn attention to the Republican Party's advocacy for a total ban on abortion.[72] According to Charles Babington of the Associated Press, Huckabee attacked establishment Republicans for demanding Akin's resignation. [73]

Richard Mourdock: "something that God intended"

Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R-IN)

On October 23rd, 2012, about two months after Todd Akin's comments, Richard Mourdock, the Indiana State Treasurer and 2012 Republican Senate candidate, became embroiled in a similar controversy when he stated that pregnancy from rape was "something god intended". Mourdock had defeated six term incumbent U.S. Senator Richard Lugar in the May 2012 Republican primary election with tea party movement support.[74] While explaining his opposition to abortion, even in the case of rape, during the final debate, he stated:

I know there are some who disagree and I respect their point of view but I believe that life begins at conception. The only exception I have to have an abortion is in that case of the life of the mother. I just struggled with it myself for a long time but I came to realize: Life is that gift from God that I think even if life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.[75]

The day after the debate, Mourdock issued a statement which said, "God creates life, and that was my point. God does not want rape, and by no means was I suggesting that he does. Rape is a horrible thing, and for anyone to twist my words otherwise is absurd and sick."[76] He later said at a press conference, "I believe God controls the universe. I don't believe biology works in an uncontrolled fashion."[77]

The comments contributed to Mourdock's loss to Rep. Joe Donnelly[78][79] and some sources commented upon the similarities with the comments of Akin.[80][81]

Response

On October 22, a television commercial showing Governor Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee for United States President, supporting Mourdock began airing.[82] The Romney campaign subsequently issued a statement saying, "Gov. Romney disagrees with Richard Mourdock’s comments, and they do not reflect his views," but did not stop the commercial. Senator John Cornyn, chairman of the NRSC, said, "Richard and I, along with millions of Americans—including even Joe Donnelly—believe that life is a gift from God. To try and construe his words as anything other than a restatement of that belief is irresponsible and ridiculous."[83][84]

Many Republicans publicly called for Mourdock to apologize for the statement. Senator McCain called for him to issue an apology and said his support for Mourdock's campaign "depends on what he does."[85] Senator Scott Brown refused to state that he supported Mourdock in the election.[86] Republican Representative Mike Pence urged Mourdock to apologize, and said in a statement, "I strongly disagree with the statement made by Richard Mourdock during last night’s Senate debate".[87] Responding to a question on Mourdock's comment, President Obama said on the Tonight Show, "Rape is rape. It is a crime," and, "These various distinctions about rape don't make too much sense to me."[88] Dan Parker, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, immediately criticized Mourdock, and said, "I'm stunned and ashamed that Richard Mourdock believes God intended rape", and that he is an "extremist" who is out of touch with Indiana.[75]

Other comments on rape and pregnancy

Steve King

Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

Iowa Republican congressman Steve King supported Akin after Akin made comments on "legitimate rape".[89] He said in a television interview that he had never personally heard about anyone getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest. He said, "Well I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way, and I’d be open to discussion about that subject matter."[90] King's comments produced condemnation from multiple sources,[91][92] and others commented upon their similarity to Akin's remarks.[93][94]

Roscoe Bartlett

Bartlett: Oh, life of the mother—exception of life of the mother, rape and incest ... there are very few pregnancies as a result of rape, fortunately, and incest—compared to the usual abortion, what is the percentage of abortions for rape? It is tiny. It is a tiny, tiny percentage.
Audience member: There’s 20,000 pregnancies every year from rape.
Bartlett: Yeah, and how many abortions? In the millions,” said Bartlett.
Another audience member: That’s 20,000 rapes. That’s 20,000 people who are violated.
Bartlett: Yeah, I know, I know. But in terms of the percentage of pregnancies, percentage of abortions for rape as compared to overall abortions, it’s a tiny, tiny percentage.
Audience member: And incest is quite high too, believe me. In Appalachia we saw incest on a daily basis
Bartlett: Oh yeah, but again, it’s a tragedy for the family and the person, but in terms of actual numbers it’s a pretty small percentage of the total number.
Audience member: Unless you’re the one.
Bartlett: Most abortions, most abortions are for what purpose? They just don’t want to have a baby! The second reason for abortion is you’d like a boy and it’s a girl, or vice versa. And I know a lot of people are opposed to abortion who are pro-choice.[95]

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD)

On August 30, 2012, Roscoe Bartlett, a ten-term Republican Congressman from Maryland was asked to clarify his position on abortion at a town hall meeting. He stated that there are very few pregnancies that result from rape or incest, thus the life of the mother exception for abortion was the only one he supported.

Multiple sources equated the comment to Akin's comments and it resulted on with political attacks on Bartlett.[96][97][98] The Democratic Congressional Committee Campaign targeted Bartlett with automated telephone calls that stated, "Republicans like your Congressman Roscoe Bartlett share some of these radical, right-wing beliefs—that the government should take away a woman’s access to making informed decisions about her own pregnancy".[99] Bartlett lost his bid for re-election to the Democratic challenger John Delaney.[100]

Tom Smith

Tom Smith (R-PA)

Following Todd Akin's comments, Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Tom Smith was asked on August 27, 2012 by the Pennsylvania Press Club about his no-exceptions anti-abortion stance and if he supported Akin's comments. The club asked how he would tell a daughter or granddaughter who had been raped that she must keep the pregnancy. Smith said that he had been in a similar situation because his daughter had become pregnant out of wedlock. He tried to withdraw his statement, saying that he was not equating the two situations, but that "a father's position" was similar.[101][102] The comments were compared to Akin's comments.[103][104][105] Salon magazine said, "If you believe pregnancy from rape and pregnancy from sex out of marriage are “similar,” then you implicitly believe that the problem with rape is that it’s non-sanctioned sexual activity, as opposed to a crime against a woman’s person."[106]

Jim Buchy

Republican State Representative Jim Buchy from Ohio gave an interview with Al Jazeera. The reporter asked Buchy why he thought some women may want an abortion. He replied, "Well, there’s probably a lot of—I’m not a woman so I’m thinking, if I’m a woman, why would I want to get—some of it has to do with economics. A lot has to do with economics. I don’t know, I have never—It’s a question I have never thought about." These comments were criticized by the national media, including the Rachel Maddow Show.[107][108][109][110]

Roger Rivard

Wisconsin State Assembly member Roger Rivard became the subject of controversy in October 2012 because of comments he had made to The Chetek Alert in December 2011.[111] In the interview, Rivard was discussing the case of a high school senior who was being prosecuted for the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl.[112] Rivard said that years before, his father had warned him that, "Some girls rape easy".[113][114] In October 2012, Rivard told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his earlier remark was being taken out of context and misquoted, and that his father had told him that after agreeing to sex and becoming pregnant, some underage girls will claim the sex was not consensual.[111][115] Following the widespread dissemination of Rivard's comment, some prominent Wisconsin Republicans including vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, Governor Scott Walker and State Representative Robin Vos, withdrew their endorsements of Rivard.[116]

Joe Walsh

Joe Walsh (R-IL)

On October 18th 2012, Republican Representative Joe Walsh said that due to "advances in science and technology", an abortion is no longer necessary to save the life of the mother.[117] He stated, "there is no such exception as life of the mother, and as far as health of the mother, same thing".[118] The following afternoon, Walsh stated that situations where "both mother and baby will die if the baby is not aborted" are "very rare," but he supported "medical procedures for women during their pregnancies that might result in the loss of the unborn child" in such cases.[119]

John Koster

John Koster, a Republican congressional candidate in Washington's 1st District, was asked at campaign fundraiser on October 28, 2012 about his position that abortion should only be available in cases where the life of the mother is in danger. He was asked about rape and incest. He said, "Incest is so rare, I mean, it's so rare...But the rape thing—you know, I know a woman who was raped and kept the child, gave it up for adoption, and she doesn't regret it." He added, "On the rape thing, it's like, how does putting more violence onto a woman's body and taking the life of an innocent child that's a consequence of this crime—how does that make it better? You know what I mean?"[120] His comments caused local and national controversies.[121][122][123][124] US News and World Report connected Koster's comments to Akin and Mourdock's by saying, "The [Republican] insults may also have an ironic backlash. Ryan, Akin, Mourdock, and Koster are poster boys for the need for more women in Congress, so Republican attacks on women may mean the election of more women."[125] Koster acknowledged that his comments may have caused him to lose the election in Washington's most competitive district.[126]

Wider impact

The overall response to the comments and controversies was negative, and some blamed the controversies for Republican losses during the election. American political consultant and policy advisor Karl Rove, in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, wrote, "Offensive comments about rape by [Republican] Senate candidates in Missouri and Indiana gave the media an excuse to put social issues at the election's center in a way that badly hurt the entire party, as well as costing Republicans two Senate seats."[127] On the federal level, the controversies were cited as causing or contributing to the defeats of Akin, Mourdock, Smith and Koster.[128]

In an article in Salon, Joan Walsh wrote "suddenly Americans had to try to imagine how doctors or hospital administrators or law enforcement officials would decide what was 'legitimate rape,' as opposed to something else. Rape panels?"[129] Conservative blog Hot Air linked Akin's remarks to a positive ten percent shift in US public opinion polls toward supporting legalizing abortion in all circumstances.[130]

The comments also were credited with helping the President Obama win the women's vote. Karen Hughes, a former George W. Bush adviser wrote in Politico, "And if another Republican man says anything about rape other than it is a horrific, violent crime, I want to personally cut out his tongue. The college-age daughters of many of my friends voted for Obama because they were completely turned off by Neanderthal comments like the suggestion of 'legitimate rape.'"[131] According to exit polls, 55% of women and 45% of men voted for Obama and 44% of women and 52% of men voted for Romney. Comments from otherwise low profile candidates such as Rep. Todd Akin, may have cost Mitt Romney the election and also reinforced for some voters concerns that the GOP is out of touch with women.[132]

The controversies caused the Republican Party to look for ways to stop its election candidates from making similar comments about rape. Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and senior adviser to the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, said, “This is actually pretty simple. If you’re about to talk about rape as anything other than a brutal and horrible crime, stop,” Anti-abortion lobby groups, such as the Susan B. Anthony List, launched training programs to prevent controversial statements on rape and abortion. [133] Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway, told Republican members of the House of Representatives that rape is a “four-letter word,” and Republicans need to avoid discussing it.[134]

See also

References

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