To be clear: I made no reference to any ACU study (never saw one), except to respond to questions by suggesting a reason why results might differ:
- if two studies select different data, or use different methods, then chances are good they'll reach different conclusions.
If you wish more information on the DW-NOMINATE report I've referenced, you might try reading here.
Note that it reaches a very different conclusion than I do.
Note the study is trying to measure "polarization", suggesting that is a bad thing.
I'm saying, no -- our problem is way too many Republicans over-eager to play huggy-bear and kissy-face with Liberals, and that's why we continue to march -- no gallop -- towards socialism.
I'm saying we need more people on the Conservative end of the scale, pulling Liberals in our direction.
Anyway, here seems to be the main point of that DW NOMINATE report:
Among other things, the study tells us that Congress-people like Santorum, Gingrich, McCain and Dole, are less consistent in their votes than some others.
Of course, I have no brief against Newt Gingrich -- I think he's a great guy and will be happy to support him, if he's the nominee.
But since he seems to be your sore point, I'll track where he stood in these reports:
First, whenever Ron Paul is listed (he took some years off from Congress) he is at or near "dead-last", which I take to mean "most conservative" since ranked near him are other known conservatives like Dick Cheney, Dick Armey and and Tom Delay -- all ranked near the "bottom" of the lists.
And so was Gingrich, near the "bottom" of the list -- most conservative -- in his first Congress, the 96th (starting 1979).
That term he ranked 398, compared to Dick Cheney at 423 and Ron Paul "dead last" at 439.
But in every Congress afterward, Gingrich "rose" in the rankings (became more "moderate"):
- Gingrich: 379 in the 97th Congress (1981), Cheney 419, Paul "dead last" at 437
- Gingrich: 375 in the 98th Congress (1983), Cheney 422, Paul 437
- Gingrich: 364 in the 99th Congress (1985), Cheney 422, Delay 429, Armey 433
- Gingrich: 364 in the 100th Congress (1987), Cheney 422, Delay 432, Armey 432
- Gingrich 368 in the 101st Congress (1989), Kyle 427, Armey 436
- Gingrich 364 in the 102nd Congress (1991), Santorum 351, Kyle 423, Armey 432
- Gingrich 346 in the 103rd Congress (1993), Santorum 331, Delay 429, Armey 432
- Gingrich 311 in the 104th Congress (1995), Delay 425, Armey 430, Coburn 443
- Gingrich 305 in the 105th Congress (1997), Delay 421, Armey 428, Coburn 440, Ron Paul 442 -- still "dead last".
Note the comparison between McCain & Santorum:
when John McCain first moved to the Senate, in 1987, he ranked 86 there, meaning only 14 Senators voted more conservatively.
By 1997, he "turned maverick", and "rose" into the 70s, where he stayed until the 111th Congress (2009), when he "fell" back to number 81, meaning among the most conservative senators.
Compare, Senator Rick Santorum's voting ranked about 70th from 1997 (a "moderate" among Republicans), but "rose" to 64th in the 109th Senate in 2005 (a near "liberal"), after which he was defeated for reelection.
These numbers tell me that some but not all people elected to Congress vote their principles consistently over the course of their careers.
And those are the ones who should be encouraged to seek leadership positions, imho.
That's why I find the DW NOMINATE reports interesting.
Of course, you are free to disagree with every aspect of this report.
Perhaps you could link to other reports which in your mind better reflect political realities?