SABATO: “People have very strong feelings on both sides, and it’s a single issue for a lot of people. Once they know your position on it, pro or con, pro-choice or pro-life, they decide how they’re going to vote, They actually ignore economic issues and issues of foreign policy and a whole wide range of other subjects.”

Both he and Rhodes Cook say it is unclear whether the comments will have an effect on the elections in November. But they say the comments are likely to live on in Democratic political ads. And they say that if Mr. Akin continues to ignore calls to end his candidacy, the effects could be major.

And that’s IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I’m Steve Ember.