Seemingly I'm NOT much of a centrist after all

[Democratic Hawk]

Seemingly I'm NOT much of a centrist at all . I decided out of curiosity to find out which Senate and Representative I was most closest using the National Journal 2006 Senate and House Vote Ratings and came up with:

Senate

I found that my weighted scores were as follows:

Economics: Liberal 60 (66%); Conservative 31 (34%) - on this measure I'm closest to Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia)

Social: Conservative 41 (52%); Liberal 38 (48%) - on this measure I'm closest to Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)

Foreign: Conservative 29 (76%); Liberal 9 (24%) - on this measure I'm closest to Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), "Kit" Bond (R-Missouri), Conrad Burns* (R-Montana), Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) & Michael Enzi (R-Wyoming)

However, put it all together and I have the following composite score:

Liberal 107 (51.4%) / Conservative 101 (48.6%) , on which my closest Senate match is Mike DeWine* (R-Ohio) , who scores:

- Economic (Liberal 52% / Conservative 47%)
- Social (Liberal 51% / Conservative 47%)
- Foreign (Conservative 50% / Liberal 47%)

House

I found that my weighted scores were as follows:

Economics: Liberal 63 (64%); Conservative 35 (36%) - on this measure I'm closest to Bobby Rush (D, Illinois-03) & Ted Strickland* (D, Ohio-06)

Social: Conservative 63 (69%); Liberal 28 (31%) - on this measure I'm closest to Katherine Harris* (R, Florida-13)

Foreign: Liberal 22 (55%); Conservative 18 (45%) - on this measure I'm closest to Allen Boyd (D, Florida-02)

However, put it all together and I have the following composite score:

Conservative 116 (50.7%) / Liberal 113 (49.3%) , on which my closest House match is Dan Boren (D, Oklahoma-02) , who scores:

- Economic (Conservative 52% / Liberal 48%)
- Social (Conservative 50% / Liberal 49%)
- Foreign (Liberal 50% / Conservative 50%)

* denotes no longer in the Senate or the House

Although, overall, both a Senate and House centrist, I'd only be close to being socially centrist in the Senate, which is possibly a truer reflection, and a foreign policy centrist in the House (my liberal score down to the fact I'd take a more liberal line on foreign aid); while I'd be the most robustly 'hawkish' Democratic senator (I don't doubt that) and, apparently, the most socially conservative Democrat in the House (though I'm skeptical as regards that)

It will be interesting to see what 2007 brings, if nothing else. Perhaps a leftward shift on House social votes, now that Democrats are setting the agenda .

Nevertheless, it would seem I'm more economically liberal, more socially conservative and more of a foreign policy hawk than I thought

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

dude, what's with all the threads about yourself of late?

Perhaps I'm relapsing into some acute narcissistic state but I hope not . Seriously, I'm beginning to think there isn't another 'Democrat' quite like me on the issues and what a lonely place it is to be

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

It's October in England.  He has like 9 more months of cloudy, rainy weather to look forward to.  I'd be depressed and seeking reassurance from others as well.

Yes, you could say I'm a tad despondent to have discovered that I 'match-up' with Tom Coburn and Katherine Harris, on Senare foreign and House social policy votes, respectively but I'm not afflicted by Seasonal Affective Disorder

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Also, I second Josh22 in asking where you go to do this.

1) Basically, you need to refer to these:

http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/senate.htm

http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/house.htm

These list the Senate and House votes applied in calculating vote ratings.

2) Start your score at 0 with two columns one headed 'Liberal', the other 'Conservative'

3) Do the economic votes, then the social votes, then the foreign votes

4) Take each specific vote in turn determining whether you'd have voted the Liberal line or the Conservative line, then allocate the weighted points, which are stated alongside each vote (these also indicate the winning line), for each specific vote under Liberal or Conservative

5) Add your economic, social and foreign scores up. That gives you total Liberal and Conservative points along each measure. Then divide each tally by the total number of points to get your percentage on each measure

6) Add up your total Liberal and Conservative scores then divide each by the total to find your composite Liberal and Conservative ratings

7) Finally, refer to the specific detailed lists (link here: http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/) to ascertain which Senators and Representatives you match along each measure and overall

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

All this tells me is that you don't get centrism by mixing leftist views and rightist views and that any attempt to call someone a centrist purely by averaging their views is misguided.

Quite. As you can see I'd have only been strictly a centrist in my Senate social and House foreign votes. To be a bona fide centrist, you'd pretty much need a centrist score, between 40 and 60, across each and every measure, like my, overall, 2006 Senate and House 'matches' Mike DeWine and Dan Boren

It will be interesting to see if 2007, now that the Democrats are setting the agenda, will see me move leftwards on social and foreign votes. I expect to be pretty much the same on economic votes

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

It's all a question of emphasis really. As Dave said, the Dems now control the Congress; different issues will come to prominance.

I do agree with the sentiments regarding 'mixing' two opposing views to get centrism. Being economically classic liberal/right and socially classic liberal/left,  I don't think I could consider myself centrist. My social views are the most inbuilt as they are based on what I'd like to consider to be conviction and life experience. I can be swayed by rational economic arguments however.

Yes, thus far, I can see that my social score will not be as conservative as it was in 2006

Although my economic, social and foreign policy views are pretty static, as a consequence of the GOP setting the agenda, my socially conservative views on certain issues came into prominence as well as my 'hawkish' line on defense and foreign policy

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I'm more socially centrist in a British context given that many issues on which I would take a populist to conservative line in the US are of scarce relevance to us on the eastern side of the Pond

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Economic policy is my top priority. I support an intrusive state as far as national security is concerned since I see such measures as enhancing, rather than dimishing, civil liberties from those very beings who seek to destroy them

If anything, the conclusions that I draw from this, is that I'm pretty much a populist, although one who is stridently 'hawkish'

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Dave,

It's time to shed that ugly red avatar and embrace the light green! 

Why that colour?  He's a Republican like you.

No. He's a Labour man and should wear orange.

Yes, I'm a Labour man and it's only fitting that I sport a red D-UK avatar since I identify with the Democratic Party on the grounds that it is the more progressive of the two US parties

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Yes, I'm a Labour man and it's only fitting that I sport a red D-UK avatar since I identify with the Democratic Party on the grounds that it is the more progressive of the two US parties

Dave

hahaha . . . Shouldn't that be blue then? 

No can do I'm afraid. The GOP has some decent enough moderates but it has too many putrid reactionaries for me to ever identify with it

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Yes, I'm a Labour man and it's only fitting that I sport a red D-UK avatar since I identify with the Democratic Party on the grounds that it is the more progressive of the two US parties

Dave

hahaha . . . Shouldn't that be blue then? 

No can do I'm afraid. The GOP has some decent enough moderates but it has too many putrid reactionaries for me to ever identify with it

Dave

See, that's why you should just go with the light green.  You can be who you are without being subjected to the stereotyping associated with the other parties. 

For me to go light green would be tantamount to sitting on a fence

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

And for 2007!

Senate

I found that my weighted scores were as follows:

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Economic: Liberal 62 (70%); Conservative 27 (30%) - on this measure I'm closest to Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)

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Social: Conservative 34 (59%); Liberal 34 (41%) - on this measure I'm closest to John McCain (R-Arizona)

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Foreign: Conservative 47 (68%); Liberal 22 (32%) - on this measure I'm closest to Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahona), Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee), who score 70; Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Mel Martinez (R-Florida), Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire), who score 66

However, put it all together and I have the following composite score:

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Liberal 118 (49.0%) / Conservative 123 (51.0%) , on which my closest Senate match is Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) , who scores:

- Economic (Conservative 52% / Liberal 46%)
- Social (Conservative 49% / Liberal 49%)
- Foreign (Conservative 53% / Liberal 46%)
- Composite (Conservative 52.2% / Liberal 47.8%)

House

I found that my weighted scores were as follows:

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Economic: Liberal 87 (74%); Conservative 31 (26%) - on this measure I'm closest to Artur Davis (D, Alabama-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D, Florida-20), Bobby Rush (D, Illinois-01), Peter Visclosky (D, Indiana-01), John Sarbannes (D, Maryland-03), Elijah Cummings (D, Maryland-07), Michael Capuano (D, Massachusetts-08), Dale Kildee (D, Michigan-05), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D, Michigan-13), John Dingell (D, Michigan-15), Jose Serrano (D, New York-16), Tim Ryan (D, Ohio-17), Jim McDermott (D, Washington-07), who score 73

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Social: Conservative 65 (69%); Liberal 29 (31%) - on this measure I'm closest to David Dreier (R, California-26), John Campbell (R, California-48), Tom Tancredo (R, Colorado-06), Candice Miller (R, Michigan-10), Thaddues Cotter (R, Michigan-11), Denny Rehberg (R, Montana-AL), John McHugh (R, New York-23), Pat Tiberi (R, Ohio-12), Paul Ryan (R, Wisconsin-01)

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Foreign: Conservative 45 (63%); Liberal 27 (37%) - on this measure I'm closest to Mary Bono Mack (R, California-45), Dana Rochrabacher (R, California-46), Mario Diaz-Balart (R, Florida-25), Howard Coble (R, North Carolina-06), John Culberson (R, Texas-07)

However, put it all together and I have the following composite score:

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Liberal 143 (50.4%) / Conservative 141 (49.6%) , on which my closest House matches are Tim Mahoney (D, Florida-16) and Henry Cuellar (D, Texas-28) , who score

Mahoney :

- Economic (Liberal 50% / Conservative 50%)
- Social (Liberal 52% / Conservative 47%)
- Foreign (Conservative 51% / Liberal 48%)
- Composite (Liberal 50.3% / Conservative 49.7%)

Cuellar

- Economic (Conservative 53% / Liberal 47%)
- Social (Liberal 56% / Conservative 44%)
- Foreign (Conservative 51% / Liberal 48%)
- Composite (Liberal 50.5% / Conservative 49.5%)

As you can, despite Democrats now controlling Congress, the Hawk pretty much remains in a class of his own among Democrats

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Now, if you disagree with a vote, do you allocate the opposite weight? ie, if you disagree with a L-2, do you put 2 under conservative?

Yes

[Democratic Hawk]

How did you do this Dave? I'd be curious to find out what mine would be

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=63999.msg1321235#msg1321235

[Democratic Hawk]

As you can, despite Democrats now controlling Congress, the Hawk pretty much remains in a class of his own among Democrats

For me to go light green would be tantamount to sitting on a fence

Was that a Freudian slip (choosing that color)? 

Nope, I'm a 'Democrat'

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

No, seriously.

Now, seriously, aren't I just a tad too economically progressive for the Republicans?

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Social: Conservative 65 (69%); Liberal 29 (31%) - on this measure I'm closest to Tom Tancredo (R, Colorado-06)

Dave? Are you okay?

Yep . Having the same social rating as Tancredo doesn't necessarily mean I'd have voted the same way as Tancredo

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

A point of note:

When I originally counted my weighted scores for 2007 House foreign votes, they totalled Liberal 19 (26%) and Conservative 55 (74%) but then having checked for who I'd most closely match, I discovered I'd have been more Conservative than any Republican

But on recounting I discoverd my calculator, or rather I, had boobed

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

For the 2006 Senate votes:

Economic: 54% Liberal, 46% Conservative, closest match was Max Baucus (D-MT), Jim Webb (D-VA), and Kent Conrad (D-ND).

Social: 58% Liberal, 42% Conservative, closest match was Claire McCaskill (D-MO).

Foreign Policy: 53% Conservative, 47% Liberal, closest match was Gordon Smith (R-OR).

Total Score: 54% Liberal, 46% Conservative, closest match was Mark Pryor (D-AR).

For the 2006 House votes:

Economic: 44% Liberal, 55% Conservative, closest match was Jim Marshal (D-GA-06), Tim Johnson (R-IL-16), Jim Ramstad (R-MN-03), Jim Gerlach (R-PA-06).

Social: 47% Liberal, 53% Conservative, closest match was Christopher Carney (D-PA-10), Mike McIntyre (D-NC-07), Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD-01), Mark Kirk (R-IL-10).

Foreign Policy: 42% Liberal, 58% Conservative, closest match was Jim Marshal (D-GA-06).

Total Score: 45% Liberal, 55% Conservative, closest match was Chris Smith (R-NJ-04), Mark Kirk (R-IL-10).

Well we both kind of diverge, significantly, from our political matrix scores otherwise suggest

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

No, seriously.

Now, seriously, aren't I just a tad too economically progressive for the Republicans?

Dave

Not really. There are a lot of Republicans out there that aren't too keen on tax cuts for yacht club members or paying an arm and a leg for pseudo private care. But they vote based on 'national security' and/or social issues anyway. Their numbers have obviously been increasing too... Well except for the first lately, mostly because of how much of a joke Bush has been.

I don't deny that I'd be something of a 'conservative' Democrat (compared with most Democrats) but of a populist hue. I'd guess that the Democratic 'mainstream' is populist-leaning liberal; that of the GOP, libertarian-leaning conservative

I actually thought now, with the Democrats in the majority, I'd have moved leftwards, in general, but seemingly I haven't and as for going from 55% Liberal on House foreign votes, in 2006, to 63% Conservative, in 2007, that's some turnaround

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Increase the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour in two years. June 21. (52-46; 60 votes required because of a unanimous consent agreement) C-3

Conservative? WTF?

The score indicates that the conservative position prevailed on this vote. Liberals required 60 votes for it to pass, but they only obtained 56; hence a score of C-3

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

And for 2008!

Senate

I found that my weighted scores were as follows:

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Economic: Liberal 78 (70%); Conservative 34 (30%) - on this measure I'm closest to Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts)

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Social: Conservative 32 (63%); Liberal 19 (37%) - on this measure I'm closest to John Warner* (R-Virginia), who scores 64

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Foreign: Conservative 17 (55%); Liberal 14 (45%) - on this measure I'm closest to Evan Bayh (D-Indiana)

However, put it all together and I have the following composite score:

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Liberal 111 (57.2%) / Conservative 83 (42.8%) , on which my closest Senate match is Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas) , who scores:

- Economic (Liberal 61% / Conservative 36%)
- Social (Liberal 48% / Conservative 48%)
- Foreign (Liberal 56% / Conservative 40%)
- Composite (Liberal 56.8% / Conservative 44.2%)

House

I found that my weighted scores were as follows:

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Economic: Liberal 81 (71%); Conservative 33 (29%) - on this measure I'm closest to Tom Allen* (D-Maine), Tim Bishop (D-New York), Lois Capps (D-California), Russ Carnahan (D-Missouri), William Lacy Clay (D-Missouri), Joe Courtney (D-Connecticut), John Dingell (D-Michigan), Anna Eshoo (D-California), Bob Etheridge (D-North Carolina), John Hall (D-New York), Steve Israel (D-New York), Daniel Lipinski (D-Illinois), Allan Mollohan (D-West Virginia), Adam Schiff (D-California), Alison Schwartz (D-Pennsylvania), Carol Shea-Porter (D-New Hampshire), John Spratt (D-South Carolina) and Bart Stupak (D-Michigan)

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Social: Conservative 25 (69%); Liberal 11 (31%) - on this issue I'm closest to Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), Kenny Hulshof* (R-Missouri), John Shimkus (R-Illinois), Greg Walden (D-Oregon) and Jerry Weller* (R-Illinois)

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Foreign: Conservative 27 (59%); Liberal 19 (41%) - on this measure I'm closest to Judy Biggert (R-Illinois), Robin Hayes* (R-North Carolina), Bob Inglis (R-South Carolina), Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) and Frank Wolf (R-Virginia)

However, put it all together and I have the following composite score:

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Liberal 111 (56.6%) / Conservative 85 (43.4%) , on which my closest House matches are Bud Cramer* (D, Alabama-05) and Charlie Wilson (D, Ohio-06) , who score:

Cramer

- Economic (Liberal 60% / Conservative 40%)
- Social (Liberal 62% / Conservative 38%)
- Foreign (Conservative 52% / Liberal 47%)
- Composite (Liberal 56.5% / Conservative 43.5%)

Wilson

- Economic (Liberal 53% / Conservative 47%)
- Social (Liberal 54% / Conservative 42%)
- Foreign (Liberal 59% / Conservative 37%)
- Composite (Liberal 56.7% / Conservative 43.3%)

Well that concludes my hypothetical National Journal vote ratings these past three years with a Republican in the White House and these past two years with Democrats in control of Congress

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Dave, can you give the link for the 2008 numbers?

This is the main page:

http://www.nationaljournal.com/2008voteratings/

And here you'll find the key votes used to calculate the ratings:

http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cs_20090228_4813.php

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

I decided to do them for years 2004 and 2005 as well

Senate

I found that my weighted scores were as follows:

2004

Economic: Liberal 38 (66%); Conservative 20 (34%)
Social: Liberal 26 (52%); Conservative 24 (48%)
Foreign: Liberal 14 (33%); Conservative 29 (63%)

Composite: Liberal 78 (51.7%) / Conservative 73 (48.3%)

2005

Economic: Liberal 69 (64%); Conservative 38 (36%)
Social: Liberal 17 (41%); Conservative 24 (59%)
Foreign: Liberal 10 (31%); Conservative 22 (69%)

Composite: Liberal 96 (53.3%) / Conservative 84 (46.7%)

2006

Economic: Liberal 60 (66%); Conservative 31 (34%)
Social: Liberal 38 (48%); Conservative 41 (52%)
Foreign: Liberal 9 (24%); Conservative 29 (76%)

Composite: Liberal 107 (51.4%) / Conservative 101 (48.6%)

2007

Economic: Liberal 62 (70%); Conservative 27 (30%)
Social: Liberal 34 (41%); Conservative 53 (59%)
Foreign: Liberal 22 (32%); Conservative 47 (68%)

Composite: Liberal 118 (49.0%) / Conservative 123 (51.0%)

2008

Economic: Liberal 78 (70%); Conservative 34 (30%)
Social: Liberal 19 (37%); Conservative 32 (63%)
Foreign: Liberal 14 (45%); Conservative 17 (55%)

Composite: Liberal 111 (57.2%) / Conservative 83 (42.8%)

Aggregate

Economic: Liberal 307 (67%); Conservative 150 (33%)
Social: Liberal 134 (44%); Conservative 174 (56%)
Foreign: Liberal 69 (32%); Conservative 144 (68%)

Composite: Liberal 510 (52.2%) / Conservative 468 (47.8%)

House

I found that my weighted scores were as follows:

2004

Economic: Liberal 51 (65%); Conservative 27 (35%)
Social: Liberal 28 (44%); Conservative 35 (56%)
Foreign: Liberal 14 (37%); Conservative 24 (63%)

Composite: Liberal 93 (52.0%); Conservative 86 (48.0%)

2005

Economic: Liberal 65 (65%); Conservative 35 (35%)
Social: Liberal 42 (40%); Conservative 63 (60%)
Foreign: Liberal 24 (43%); Conservative 32 (57%)

Composite: Liberal 131 (50.2%); Conservative 130 (49.8%)

2006

Economic: Liberal 63 (64%); Conservative 35 (36%)
Social: Liberal 28 (31%); Conservative 63 (69%)
Foreign: Liberal 22 (55%); Conservative 18 (45%)

Composite: Liberal 113 (49.3%) / Conservative 116 (50.7%)

2007

Economic: Liberal 87 (74%); Conservative 31 (26%)
Social: Liberal 29 (31%); Conservative 65 (69%)
Foreign: Liberal 27 (37%); Conservative 45 (63%)

Composite: Liberal 143 (50.4%); Conservative 141 (49.6%)

2008

Economic: Liberal 81 (71%); Conservative 33 (29%)
Social: Liberal 11 (31%); Conservative 25 (69%)
Foreign: Liberal 19 (41%); Conservative 27 (59%)

Composite: Liberal 111 (56.6%) / Conservative 85 (43.4%)

Aggregate

Economic: Liberal 347 (68%); Conservative 161 (32%)
Social: Liberal 138 (35%); Conservative 251 (65%)
Foreign: Liberal 106 (42%); Conservative 146 (58%)

Composite: Liberal 591 (51.4%) / Conservative 558 (48.6%)