Akin's Supporters Want Him Gone

Everybody except Todd Akin understands the stakes.

According to a new St. Louis Post-Dispatch/News 4 poll, self-described Akin supporters want him to quit by a 50-34 margin. His image in the new poll is abysmal, with just 17 percent viewing him favorably and 56 unfavorably.

And the bottom line on his chances of beating Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, who he led comfortably before the scandal by five points is just as bad. He is currently nine points behind McCaskill, 50 percent to 41 percent.

The poll echoes a similar Rasmussen Report released Friday that showed a similar shift in the race that many analysts said was Akin's to win.

The poll reinforces efforts to convince Akin to drop out of the race. He has until September 25 to get his name off the ballot. Akin on Friday dismayed the GOP establishment by announce he was staying in the race. He suggested that he was going to run against the establishment, but even allies like conservative talk show hosts Mark Levin and Sean Hannity, as well as Romney and Ryan, have called on him to step down.

Anti-Akin forces Saturday were pointing to the fact that even Akin's own supporters want him out of the race and were hopeful that Akin would act on that finding.