Can someone please explain the 90% to me?

[Bill the Cat]

Obama keeps harping that McCain "voted with George Bush 90% of the time". Last I checked, Presidents don't have votes in Congress... so what is Obama on about?

[FlimFlamboyant]

I think he's on about McCain supposedly supporting the same bills that Bush did. I don't know if voting "present" 90% of the time is any better though. :teeth:

[Bill the Cat]

So they are griping that McCain voted like a Republican? :twitch: What percent did Obama vote with the Democrats (the few times the Democrats actually got something put forward to vote on in the past 2 years)?

[FlimFlamboyant]

So they are griping that McCain voted like a Republican? :twitch:
I guess. Oh, the humanity!


What percent did Obama vote with the Democrats (the few times the Democrats actually got something put forward to vote on in the past 2 years)?
I'm guessing the answer to that wouldn't be any more surprising.

[historic salve]

I think it means that McCain voted for bills that Bush signed (rather than vetoed). The 90% number was only for one year. On the other hand, according to the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/27/mccain-voted-with-bush-10_n_103718.html), these kinds of studies "only track votes when the President has an explicit, stated opinion on a bill."

According to a different study, McCain has agreed with his party 86% of the time over his entire career. I think it's more accurate to compare McCain's agreement with his party than with Bush.

[rogue06]

Any time a Senator or Represenative votes in favor of a bill that passes and doesn't get vetoed by the President I guess you can count as "voting with the President." Considering Bush's apparent profound allergic reaction to vetoing things, this doesn't say a whole lot.

[Sea of red]

So they are griping that McCain voted like a Republican? :twitch:

Hey look it's...

[familyof6]

I think the point of him saying that is this: (at the risk of impersonating the captain...)

McCain's continued claim to be a 'maverick' doesn't really make sense when you consider that he votes largely along party lines.

[Jaltus]

Obama votes along party lines 97% of the time. McCain has one o the lowest percentages.

[Pilgrim]

Yeah, I don't really see how you can fault McCain for voting along party lines on most things. I mean, that's why you affiliate with a party right? because it reflects your general take on things.

It does, however, cast context on the claim to being a "maverick." Though Jaltus rightly points out that neither of them perhaps has a really secure grip on any such claims.

[familyof6]

I don't fault McCain for voting along party lines. It makes sense to me; however, it's not 'maverick' behavior.

[JonLanceBarker]

Hmmm...86% vs. 97%...who looks more like a stooge to you? :hehe:

[familyof6]

Hmmm...86% vs. 97%...who looks more like a stooge to you? :hehe:

I agree. However, Obama isn't calling himself a maverick.

[Bill the Cat]

I agree. However, Obama isn't calling himself a maverick.

Well, the Dems aren't in the white house, so there's no reason to BE a Maverick, I would think...

[Jaltus]

I agree. However, Obama isn't calling himself a maverick.

But he is saying he is CHANGE. Is it really change when he is just a liberal retread?

[Pilgrim]

It's change from what is there right now. I think that's his big claim, that the direction of the executive will change.

[Sea of red]

Hmmm...86% vs. 97%...who looks more like a stooge to you? :hehe:
Wow a whole ten percent difference makes him a stooge? I just love big time Conservative reasoning.


86%=Battling tooth and nail for America and being a maverick that stands up against Republicans.
97%=Being a stooge that follows the pack of idiot liberals.

:lol:

[Sea of red]

But he is saying he is CHANGE. Is it really change when he is just a liberal retread?
McCain says that he is different from Bush,he says that he battles Republicans constantly and that he has a track record to prove it.

The numbers say otherwise.

Same crap different election.

[Bill the Cat]

Wow a whole ten percent difference makes him a stooge? I just love big time Conservative reasoning.


86%=Battling tooth and nail for America and being a maverick that stands up against Republicans.
97%=Being a stooge that follows the pack of idiot liberals.

:lol:

97 percent means he voted Democrat almost every time... except that one time at band camp...

[Jaltus]

Considering the amount of times Obama has actually voted versus the amount of times McCain has, 97% and 86% are quite different.