Is Aikin the straw that will break the GOP's back?

"Well, you know, since, as you’ve said, we’ve had some time for this to be giving some very serious thought to that, my sense is that I’m kind of back where we started in the primary and over the last day or two I’ve had good friends — they are as close as brothers, Sean — and as I’ve talked to them I realized there are many other brave hearts who don’t quite fit into the political parties and where the parties are right now."

The rift has been there for some time - the political right is a hodge-podge of free marketers, social conservatives and libertarians who are primarily united by their contempt/fear of the other guys.  It's more surprising than not, really, that the GOP hasn't fragmented significantly before now.

Aikin might not be the spark for the carving off of a third Party.  But it's not impossible.

Todd Akin, Please Read This

It's very easy to pontificate on issues that will never impact you directly.  When your words carry weight, however, you don't get the privilege of speaking from willful ignorance or half-understood truths.

If you want to represent people, you must speak for all of them.

Dear Todd Akin,

I am writing to you tonight about rape. It is 2 AM and I am unable to sleep here in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am in Bukavu at the City of Joy to serve and support and work with hundreds, thousands of women who have been raped and violated and tortured from this ceaseless war for minerals fought on their bodies.