WMass reacts to Akin's rape comment

Springfield, Mass. (WWLP) - Republicans fear a GOP Senate candidate's misstatement could hurt  their party's chances to take over the White House. This comes after Missouri Senate front runner Todd Akin made an inflammatory comment about women and rape.

In an interview this week, Akin dismissed the need for abortion to terminate a pregnancy resulting from a rape.  "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin said.

But it's not just the Republican party that's outraged over this. Akin's comment has crossed party lines and reached far beyond Missouri, enraging women here in Western Massachusetts.

"It's so outrageous to think that there'd be a person in the government that believes that women are so useless" said JoAnne Bertrand.

What's at stake is not only Akin's career, but his fellow Republican's path path to presidency.

"Those comments about rape were deeply offensive. I can't defend what he said. I can't defend him", said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

"All these things are absolutely ridiculous and will affect the women's vote because this is something that should really not happen in our country in this century", said Susan Altman of Longmeadow.

Some even believe that there are more issues involving women that should be brought to light; not just the abortion topic that's tossed around each election season.

"We're much more educated than just this one point, and I think that in politics today they just keep driving at this one thing that fires us up", Dara Bassock told 22News.