Candidates touting/criticizing voting records

[APEXi240]

One problem I have with the debate, with statistics as they are portrayed by the media and candidates, and with our legislative system in general is the use of someone's voting record.

Tonight there was one comment that bothered me. Barrack Obama stated "John McCain voted 23 times against alternate energy" (I'm paraphrasing).

This is a very loaded comment.

Because it was the opponent stating the statistic I don't expect any qualification or pretext, but it is obviously necessary in determining the truth of the statement. What were the context of the legislation in which he voted against. Were they at the detriment of some other fundamental belief being held by McCain? Was certain legislation cherry-picked for dramatic effect? Or one of my biggest gripes about legislation, was the legislation part of a larger bill where it was either not the sole topic of legislation or it was wrapped up/tagged onto legislation that McCain fundamentally disagreed with.

Was alternative energy funding added onto a piece of Democratic legislation that discussed budgeting dollars for the Environmental Protection Agency? If McCain disagreed with the allotment of funds and votes against the bill he is obviously opening up his record to be manipulated into him "voting against solar energy".

This happens all the time with thousands of candidates running in all types of elections, and to use statistics such as those in areas of debate, political ads, literature, etc. is very misleading to the American public and does a great disservice to the many uneducated voters and citizens that are willing to believe anything they hear or read from the TV or newspaper. It also increases the polarization of the uneducated voter, and does nothing to spawn constructive dialogue and debate amongst our politicians.

*edit

This is not meant to be pro-McCain or anti-Obama, so please let's not turn this thread into that, we have enough of those already.

[spngr311]

I've thought the same thing when I hear something like that. Why did the votes go the way they did for each member? Often, it's not because a person is against that single bill, but more for the stuff attached to it. I always thought legislation should be voted on individual issues, but I hear from my lawyer fiancee that the legislation cannot work that way.

[APEXi240]

It can and it should, but it doesn't.