why the Bill Nelson transformation?

[freepcrusher]

Looking at his voting record, he averaged around a rating of 53 from the American Conservative Union from 1979 through 1990. Since returning to DC in 2001, his ACU rating has averaged around 15. What explains such a Jekyl-Hyde voting record?

[Ike56]

My guess would be that our politics are more polarized now, and the breed of conservative Dems has been dying out for some time (as have moderate Rs).  Also, his House seat may have been rather conservative (too lazy to look it up/don't have time right now), and I would bet that his former seat is now held (such as it might be in today's mapping) by a Republican.

That, and I think genuine conservative Democrats can get away with that more in the House vice the Senate.  It happens, but not nearly as much.

[I'm JewCon in name only.]

I like you Ike56


But, yea I agree with Ike's post. Nelson is in Florida, a moderate state with lots of liberal democrats. Joe Manchin on the other hand, is in ...WV, so he can stay very right wing.

[OC]

He is a  Bob Graham or bill Clinton new Democrat. Lock box on social security and medicare but tough on natl intelligence and homeland defense.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

He represented what is basically the 15th district under the 2000's lines. Until the 1990's it was full of Conservative Democrats and was considered a swing district. That has since changed as the seat stayed Republican by double digits in 2008, despite being open in a Dem year with a surprisingly weak GOP candidate.