McCain's ACU Ratings
Senator John McCain's lifetime rating of 82.3% from the American Conservative Union is often cited as proof that he is conservative. Here is a closer look at that 82.3 rating.
Year | ACU Rating |
2006 | 65 |
2005 | 80 |
2004 | 72 |
2003 | 80 |
2002 | 72 |
2001 | 68 |
2000 | 81 |
1999 | 77 |
1998 | 68 |
1997 | 80 |
1996 | 95 |
1995 | 91 |
1994 | 96 |
1993 | 83 |
1992 | 85 |
1991 | 86 |
1990 | 87 |
Year and Issue | Vote Margin |
2006, Taxes | 50-50 |
2006, Immigration | 50-49 |
2006, Immigration | 62-36 |
2006, Social: Same Sex Marriage | 49-48 |
2006, Native Hawaiian Govt. | 56-41 |
2006, International: Iran sanctions | 54-45 |
2006, Immigration: Border Fence | 71-29 |
2006, Social: Embryonic Stem Cells | 63-37 |
2005, Taxes | 51-49 |
2005, Environment: Climate Change | 60-38 |
2005, Environment: mercury emissions | 51-47 |
2005, Environment: ANWR | 51-48 |
2005, Taxes: Oil & gas development | 51-48 |
2004, Spending/Social: School vouchers | 65-28 |
2004, Regulation: seat belts | 57-41 |
2004, Legal Reform: Gun manufacturers | 70-27 |
2004, Spending: Unemployment | 58-39 |
2004, Taxes | 51-48 |
2004, Spending: Education of disabled | 56-41 |
2004, Legal Reform: Torts | 44-43 |
2003, Taxes | 50-50 |
2003, Taxes | 50-50 |
2003, Taxes | 51-49 |
2003, Environment: Kyoto | 55-43 |
2002, Voter fraud, state control | 55-40 |
2002, Regulation: SUV fuel efficiency | 56-44 |
2002, CFR | 60-40 |
2002, Taxes: death tax | 55-44 |
2001, CFR | 69-31 |
2001, CFR | 60-40 |
2001, CFR | 57-43 |
2001, Taxes: marriage penalty | 73-27 |
2001, Taxes: capital gains | 51-47 |
2001, Taxes | 58-33 |
2001, Taxes/Health: med. savings accounts | 53-45 |
2001, Legal Reform: torts | 54-42 |
2000, Taxes | 56-44 |
2000, International: Troops in Kosovo | 53-47 |
2000, CFR: Brad Smith on FEC | 65-35 |
2000, CFR | 57-42 |
1999, International: Troops in Kosovo | N/A |
1999, Health: managed care | N/A |
1999, Spending | N/A |
1999, CFR | N/A |
1998, Health: surgeon general confirm. | 75-23 |
1998, CFR | 50-47 |
1998, CFR | 50-48 |
1998, CFR | 51-48 |
1998, Taxes: tobacco | 72-26 |
1998, Taxes: tobacco | 57-42 |
1998, International: Troops in Bosnia | 65-31 |
1998, International: IMF lending | 74-19 |
Another piece of information from the list above is that many of the votes were close. In one third of these votes, a swing of only two senators would have changed the outcome. In over two thirds, a swing of ten senators would have changed the outcome. As someone remarked, McCain is like a baseball player who gets all his hits after two outs and no one on base, and all his outs with men in scoring position.