<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34363_Page3.html>
That ideological rigidity bore itself out when respondents were asked their rationale for ranking the conservative figures included in POLITICO’s survey or for determining their top three most disappointing Republicans.
Not only did respondents blast McCain for his support of stricter campaign finance rules, immigration reform and climate change legislation — all of which he’s dialed back in recent years as he’s tacked right — and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (a favorite target of tea partiers), but they also counted against him his wife and daughter’s support for same sex marriage, and his loss to Obama in the presidential race.