A correspondent writes to discuss a chart in this post:
RE: April 16 post Race 2016: Marco Rubio, and the chart labeled How Conservative are GOP Presidential Candidates:
Seems to me, this chart is useful on more than one level. Take note of the folks whose public issue statements widely differ from their congressional voting record. Ron Paul, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz seem to have the most egregious track record for saying one thing and doing the opposite.
I find that kind of analysis very useful, if the analysis is from a trusted source. Even if you abhor Michelle Bachmann’s or Herman Cain’s platform, at least you know where they stand (relatively speaking).
Hard to argue the point, and those data points are striking. Here’s the chart again, for reference:
I note that Rick Santorum, a one term Senator, appears to be willing to have a radical mouth but a less than radical voting button. But how is FiveThirtyEight handling candidates with no Congressional voting record, such as Huckabee, Pawlenty, and other governors? That’s not entirely clear.
