The 2008 version of Mitt, Santorum, Newt, Perry, Bachmann, and Cain are waaaaay far right on social issues. Santorum and Bachmann signed some loopy social conservative manifesto by the guy who lost the GOP Governor's primary in Iowa (given that Iowa has a sitting GOP Governor-why would you deal with the guy who he beat?). The manifesto, which the other dozen hapless chuckleheads then running in Iowa wisely shunned, extolled the family values of slavery (overlooking that pesky business about selling families piecemeal). Mitt's been terrified of offending social conservatives, so he never moved back to the center. That's marginalized him among moderates and independents, and magnified his opportunistic flip flopping when contrasted what he said and did in MA.
Akin is a caveman, but his views on abortion are exactly those of the GOP platform and of Paul Ryan, who's sponsored anti-abortion legislation with Akin. The same people rejoicing when Ryan was tabbed are terrified that people might examine Ryan's voting and legislative record on social issues.