I used to agree with that quote until folks like Linda Graham and Mitch “China” McConnell showed me otherwise.
Right. It all depends on which 80% and which 20%.
It used to mystify me how McCain could stab conservatives in the back again and again, and still maintain an almost perfect “conservative” score.
Then I realized the trick of counting what Ted Cruz calls “show votes”, procedural votes, behind the scenes votes. And, then, there is the trick of voting with the conservatives when they don’t need you, when your vote doesn’t change anything. It was always when his vote really counted that McCain could be counted on to betray you. So he cultivated his high “conservative” rating while betraying you every time you needed him.