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Rankings Of Most Liberal And Conservative Politicians Show ‘Very Stark Partisan Divide’

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» 54 comments

On Friday’s Jansing & Co., host Chris Jansing spoke with Reid Wilson of the National Journal Hotline to learn which members of the House and Senate ranked as the most conservative and most liberal.

RELATED: Lawrence O’Donnell Blasts Ron Paul As ‘Fake Libertarian’

“What surprises me,” said Wilson, “is the number of names on the list… 19 Democrats ranked as the most liberal and 10 Republicans ranked as the most conservative. That tells me that the parties are becoming a lot more homogeneous; they’re voting a lot more like… There’s fewer crossover voters. In the Senate, not a single Democrat is more conservative than the most liberal Republican, and not a single Republican is more liberal than the most conservative Democrat. So we’ve got this very stark partisan divide, and I think it just speaks to the level of partisanship we’ve seen on Capitol Hill over the last several years. ”

The issue of ranking came up during Wednesday’s GOP debate, as Jansing pointed out, with Rick Santorum pointing out that Ron Paul is ranked as the 145th most conservative (/3rd most liberal) Republican. “Some of the conservative ratings,” Paul had replied, “you have to realize, sometimes conservatives want to spend money, too. You can’t just go by the ratings.”

Have a look at the report, via MSNBC:

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  • The Vicar of Gloveby

    Obama was ranked the most liberal Senator, and also has made the top ten each year in Judicial Watch’s Most Corrupt Politicians. ( six Dems, four Reps.)

    http://www.judicialwatch.org/corrupt-politicians-lists/washingtons-ten-most-wanted-corrupt-politicians-for-2011/

  • Anonymous

    The problem is not that there’s very liberal politicians and very conservative politicians.
    The problem is that the extremes were far outweighed by the rational middle.

    Today, most politicians fall over backwards trying to convince their constituents that they’re on the 100%, irrational, nutjob fringe. Result: “a very stark partisan divide.” 

  • Anonymous

    So what if he’s the most liberal? I’m liberal, I like that. As for corrupt… lol.

  • Keane

    Wait a second. You mean this country is divided politically?

  • http://www.occupywallst.org/ (CAR)

    News Polls have Obama beating all Republican Nominees but wide margins. I guess we know which side America is on

  • The Vicar of Gloveby

    When you select the most liberal guy to run for President, don’t be surprised when he doesn’t work with the other party.

    Don’t be shocked when he tells Reps ” I won !” and won’t meet with the “enemy”.

    Don’t be amazed when he spends his term demagoguing and demonizing and mocking those who oppose him.

    Obama never became President of the US. He’s the President of the Liberals.

    Still a community agitator with a bullhorn ( also a plane and a helicopter).

  • Anonymous

    so by reading your comment, my takeaway is I want politicians who are registered independents apparently 

  • WiddleBabyDanielson

     And became a President that governs to the “right” of Reagan.

  • http://www.occupywallst.org/ (CAR)

    Quoting Judicial Watch is like quoting Rush Limbaugh.  It was created to lambast Democrats and is headed by Republican Activist Larry Elliot Klayman who is funded by Republicans.

  • http://twitter.com/DakotaLV Dakota

    LOL…. no they arent. Most polls have obama just a few points above the margin of error, and in the swing states Obama isnt looking good at all. Then you have to consider the time… of course Obama will get a bump while the republicans are in the primary becasue tis 100% bashing each other and very few people are attacking him … which will change once a nominee is selected.

  • Anonymous

    Let them sleep Dakota…let them sleep…

  • Verreauxii

    Thank you….precisely but you would never expect Gloves to tell you that. JW is a rightwing cesspool website. Talking about demagogic….!

  • Verreauxii

    Republicans have been bashing Obama CONTINUOUSLY even before he became potus! It’s dishonest to claim that they are giving him a “break.” Did you even watch the CNN debate that was aired a day ago? They attacked him several times! You also lie by saying Obama is barely beating Republicans. He beats Mittens by 5 points, Gingrich by 14pts, Santorum by 6 points and Paul by 8points. That is outside the margin of error! RCP averages. 
    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/general_election_romney_vs_obama-1171.html Purple Strategies polls (that looks at swing states) has Obama leading ALL the GOP’ers especially in the west! 
    http://www.purplestrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/Feb2012Poll_v7.pdf

  • Anonymous

    They also keep conveniently forgetting voters are split among the candidates.  Get rid of the ‘also-ran’ candidates and the one remaining Republican would poll much better against the one remaining Democrat.  

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1572984371 Cindy Nowicki

     You are wrong!

    “They” did not attack Obama…..Gingrich effectively took the role of attacker..

  • Hout Bosques

    That website is less authoritative that you are – less even than Stormfront. I WISH Obama were “most liberal” … during the 2 years he was a US Senator. 

    Take a look at who’s behind that goofy website judicialwatch folks – people who make the gloves franchise look almost normal. 

    Query gloves inc. – any of you idiots: if that website is right, what the hell’s wrong with your goofy party that it can do a thing to Obama?

  • Hout Bosques

    Bernie Sanders: I’m kind of thinking the only admitted socialist in Congress in 80 years is most likely going to be the most liberal. By the way: Bernie Sanders is also the answer to the question, Best US Senator in the current Congress, or best US Senator in history? 

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Judicial Watch? You must be kidding. Larry Klayman? For the love of all that is holy, Larry Klayman?

  • Verreauxii

    Yes…they did. I watched the damn debate!  Anytime the potus is mentioned, it is in critique, thus effectively an attack. They all did that. Dakota claims that Obama is not being attacked by the GOP during the primary season. Laughable! They do it EVERY SINGLE DAY!

  • Hout Bosques

    Look Toto: we’re back in Kansas again, and it’s 2008, and the country is coming together in patriotic fervor to vote President John McCain into office. Oh frabjus day, calloo, callay! Just LOOK at those wonderful polls showing President McCain & Vice President Palin SURGING in the eyes of voters!  

    BTW: Obama is up in all the swing states, when he really doesn’t need to win more than 3 of them. And he’s way up, like over 10 pts up, on anyone in the GOP contest overall. And your “now he’s nominated, finally” bump? Watch out for the Debbie Downer moment when the RNC finds out a fifth of their own base won’t vote Mormon.

  • Verreauxii

    After choosing the GOP nominee, potus will poll much better against him because he has an actual named opponent. You obviously don’t see it that way either, don’t you? Your assessment is also wrong. All the poll matchups are not with several GOP candidates against Obama in the same poll. That would infer that their individual polling numbers were cumulative and would go to the eventual winner. That is not the case. Each GOP candidate is polled individually against potus. He beats them all.

  • Walt

    Hey Einstein, if Obama is the most liberal politician… what does that make Nixon, Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, Lincoln, to name a few based upon their record?  Fact in the reality world:  republicons have filibustered a record number of bills and appointments.  In the past before the republicon party went off the cliff to the right, being this is a Republic, when the people chose the party to lead by an election the other party compromised and with that party.  But the republicons, as stated by Sen. McConnell made it their number one goal to see this president fail at the sacrifice of an economic recovery.  Fact in the reality world:  Despite the obstruction of the republicons, Obama, to the discontent, of liberals still reached way across the aisle to compromise with the republicons on many issues.  Fact in the reality world:  Obamacare was originally initiated as a Republican idea.  Fact in the reality world:  your, and idiot fools like you, line of  rational thought is so bent to the extreme right due to years
    of indoctrination by extremist right wing ideologue pundits and
    theocratic fundamentalists who “still wear the coats of their barbarous
    ancestors.”  Fact in the reality world:  your comment, “Obama never became President of the US. He’s the President of the Liberals” gives you the hateful ugly American award of the day.

    You Gloveby, are an ignorant jackass who walks around with your head up your ass.  Of course it would make sense we don’t see eye to eye.  

  • http://www.proactivepolitics.blogspot.com/ Norbit Peters

    Two diametrically opposed worldviews cannot co-exist this way.
    Time for the Red States to SECEDE!

  • Anonymous

    Remember what happened to the so-called ‘rational middle’ in the past : when Reagan and Bush compromised on spending cuts and tax increases, we got only tax increases and we were mocked as liars. Bill Clinton and Chuck Schumer attacked Bush and labeled him as someone who cannot be trust. Hence the necessity of Americans for Tax Reform and his pledge.

  • Anonymous

    Red States are fake Republican “social” conservatives that either need to be shot for 2000-2008, or Accept that their personal social issues should not be enforced onto others.

  • The Vicar of Gloveby

    Robert. Who are you backing in this important Texas race? Larry Klayman not running.

    “Jackson Lee to face challenge from rapper Cornbreadd in November”http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/211977-jackson-lee-to-face-challenge-from-rapper-cornbreadd-in-november

  • Anonymous

    In February 1980, Jimmy carter was beating Reagan by a wide margin too.

    Whoever is elected does not matter anyway : Obama will not have the votes in Congress to be a liberal partisan. He will have to give up his partisan rhetoric, move to the center, and compromise with conservatives and the Tea Party. He will not have votes for more spendings, more taxes and more job-killing regulations.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Not my district, a couple of hundred miles away in fact, but I can attest and affirm if it were and you were running, I would vote for you as a vote against Ms. Jackson Lee. I might even make a modest contribution to your campain fund. Then, again, I might make the contribution to that  organization which promotes a militant Lesbian life-style. The Girl Scouts, I believe you call it.

  • JustAsking2012

    Why don’t more left-wing Congress people admit to being Socialists?

    Is it because they’re not really? Is it because they think it won’t win votes? Or is it because the country, as a whole, rejects the idea of Socialism, and the only place where a Socialist can win their seat over and over and over again, is in one of the very very very blue states?

  • JustAsking2012

    Right. Republicans won’t vote for a Mormon… but the very same Republicans (whom you’ll proudly lie and smear at every opportunity), will watch Glenn Beck… who is also a Mormon.

    You really need to stop projecting your bigotry on other people.

  • Verreauxii

    Yes….Carter was, but his complete collapse in the polls later that year had everything to do with something huge that was unravelling that year. Can you guess?

    P.S. The TeaParty do not compromise. They are dogmatic people.

  • The Vicar of Gloveby

    I like the sound of Congressman Cornbreadd.

    I hate to say it, but those GS cookies are a gyp.

  • Verreauxii

    We saw how well that worked out for you morons last time around. 

  • Verreauxii

    Why don’t more right-wing Congress people admit to being neo-Fascists? Is it because they’re not really? Is it because they think it won’t win votes? Or is it because the country, as a whole, rejects the idea of neo-Fascism (transvaginal probes and all), and the only place where a fascist can win their seat over and over and over again, is in one of the very very very red states?

  • Just Another Blowhard

    In other news, the sky is blue. 

  • Just Another Blowhard

    In other news, the sky is blue. 

  • Just Another Blowhard

     That worked out so well for them in the past.

  • JustAsking2012

    I’m going to go with “A.” Because they’re not.

    Sadly, you get no credit for your answer… because it wasn’t an answer, it was just another question. We might have to have a parent-teacher conference, if your performance doesn’t improve, young man or woman.

  • Verreauxii

    “I’m going to go with “A.” Because they’re not.”
    Same response to your initial question. Now go back to your basement. My point has been proven. 

  • Anonymous

    And now the Kenyan Communist is the most liberal President in the history of the nation.  And he’s the Supreme Soro’s Socialist leading his czars to a total collaspe of the American economy.

    This man is hateful, corrupt and evil and the biggest the threat to America EVER

  • Anonymous

    Noted fair-weather patriot, Norbit Peters ladies and gentlemen.  Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, traitor. 

  • Anonymous

    “He will have to give up his partisan rhetoric, move to the center, and compromise with conservatives and the Tea Party.”

    Yeah that sounds great and all, but you’re ignoring the fact that “compromise” is a dirty word amongst the Tea Party.  Obama’s biggest political mistake in the early years of his presidency was trying to compromise with a group whose #1 publicly-state goal was making him a one term president. 

  • Anonymous

    Look at the word cloud from this week’s debate.  They certainly weren’t complimenting his sense of style…

  • Anonymous

    Not bigotry …. polling.  The polling has shown that 20% will not vote for a Mormon.

  • Anonymous

    oh and when GWBush said ‘I have a MANDATE from the voter’s’ when he won by 50.7% he wasn’t saying the EXACT SAME THING?  Oh I know, it’s only HORRIFYING when Obama says it.  These rankings are crap, everyone knows it and pretends that they mean something.  Obama is a GIFT to the Republicans.  He could have signed only ‘liberal’ legislation but instead he took great ideas from the GOP and incorporated them into laws…but then the GOP ran screaming away from those ideas because it interfered with their ‘meme’.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IC7HRBJRXKA7IKTTZS5W3UIECQ Agent of Truth

    That is becasue you have to be very very stupid to be a republican.

  • Anonymous

     With you here.  Checked out the thumbnail bio of JWs pres. Tom Fitton.  It listed him as a leading Conservative spokesman.   I can just read it now.  Somebody’s going to write what about liberal groups??   If an organization says Judicial Watch or some general sounding name claim to be objective when it isn’t that is categorically  wrong.    This goes for both liberal and conservative organizations.  Something that is truly objective is factual and doesn’t take sides.
    I checked out their report for Eric Holder.  It is obvious to me why JW doesn’t like him Obama’s attorney general is not for  DOMA.  Oh Heaven forbid!!! How terrible!!!
    The report mentions the “Family Research Council” an ultra right group.   The staff criticizes Holder for upholding what they call Obamacare.  Its all semantics.  The rightwingers refer to Obama’s Health Care as Obamacare.  Obama and liberal democrats call it Obama’s health care plan.  Exact same thing.  Like Pro life and antichoice are the exact same thing.  Not getting into this except how  different words can convey the exact same message. 
    If the AG report is typical its easy to see where Judicial Watch is coming from.  I noticed some of the most liberal politicians are here. They might as well say Judicial Watch anti liberal.  One thing though I do think John Edwards was terribly corrupt.  Thats one politician they got right. as in correct

  • http://www.facebook.com/tonykoch1 Tony Koch

     well said ,  he is crappy leader and a joke as a president.  He makes clinton look like a novice in regards to pandering for votes

  • http://www.occupywallst.org/ (CAR)

    So then, what would you say to someone diliberately lying to you to change the way you vote, thus effecting the outcome of the election by organized misinformation campaigns. What would you call those people?

  • http://www.occupywallst.org/ (CAR)

    Obama’s spread vs Santorum is 6 pts, and as high as 11 pts; vs Romney he’s above 5.2 pts and as high as 10 pts. Also his general approval rating is at 48.2 pts and as high as 50%.

    If good news keeps coming out of the economy, Republicans will have no chance in November. Being that the stock market is already hovering at 13,000, I’d say that is the nail in the coffin. Regardless of how the economy recovers, the DOW is the gold standard of how to rank the growth of the economy.

  • Anonymous

    Larry Klayman hasn’t been with Judicial Watch since he left in September 2003 to run for the U.S. Senate seat from Florida.  Klayman organized a good thing and it is greater now than it ever was under his leadership.

  • Anonymous

    Bill Clinton said that he had a mandate from the voters when he only won 46% of the vote.

  • Anonymous

    yes he did.  There were three viable candidates running that year.  SO WHAT?  The reply was to HOW BAD OBAMA WAS FOR SAYING HE WON and I pointed out GWB said the same thing.  So now, Clinton is a jerk too>?  Or are they ALL jerks and this entire argument is bogus?

  • http://www.occupywallst.org/ (CAR)

    So 1) you admit that the Judicial Watch is a highly partisan machine founded by a highly partisan Republican to put a negative and hyperpartisan untrue bend on the truth, but now say that the guy resigned so it’s not like that anymore??

    Is that what you are saying, the lies you dare tell me to my internet of a face?? Please back out now before I make you tell the truth!!

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