McCain's avrage vote ratings

[NewHopeR]

Does 'economic policy: 59 percent conservative and 41 percent liberal" refer to "economic policy: 59% of the other Senators voted more conservatively than McCain and 41% of the other Senators voted more liberally than him"?


Context:

1)The non-partisan National Journal rates a Senator's votes by what percentage of the Senate voted more liberally than he or she, and what percentage more conservatively, in three policy areas: economic, social, and foreign. For 2005–2006 (as reported in the 2008 Almanac of American Politics), McCain's average ratings were as follows: economic policy: 59 percent conservative and 41 percent liberal; social policy: 54 percent conservative / 38 percent liberal;, and foreign policy: 56 percent conservative / 43 percent liberal.[287]

[Tdol]

Yes, it does.

[NewHopeR]

Yes, it does.

Thank you.

But is it possible that the reverse is also likely?
McCain was 59 percent conservative because 59% other senators voted more liberally than he did?

[SoothingDave]

If you are "59% conservative" that means that you are more conservative than average, not less. There are 41% of the senators who are more conservative.

Usually, a figure is given based on a partisan group's ratings. The American Conservative Union, for example, counts each vote as either "conservative" or "liberal" and then sees how many of a given senator's votes go one way or another.

Something like this must underlie the ranking of who is "more" or "less" conservative.