Published: August 19, 2006 11:34 pm         

Vote Smart cuts through hype and spin of politics

Wearied by the spin doctors, the hype and the exploitative ads that can mislead voters in an election season?

The answer, Project Vote Smart says, is a 100-page booklet and its own Web site that cuts through the fog of campaign rhetoric with the unabashed truth about voting records, financing and documented stands on issues.

It’s a standard booklet, covering members of Congress, so that voters in each state can get pertinent data on their senators and members of the House.

“One size does fit all,” said Lisa Coligan, national director of Project Vote Smart, a nonprofit group based in Phillipsburg, Mont., and active in campaigns since 1992.

Legislative candidates in particular states are excluded, but voters can plug into the group’s Web page at www.vote-smart.org to get a rundown on them.

“What we want to do, we just want to be an alternative to all the negative campaign ads and manipulative tactics by giving people the facts on the candidates,” Coligan said.

“And that’s all we do. We collect voting records, campaign finances, evaluations by special interest groups, and put all that factual information in one place.”

Even a politician’s remarks can be held against him — or in his favor, depending on the voter’s perspective on an issue.

There is no charge for the book, and anyone can get one simply by requesting it from the Web site, or by calling a toll-free number, 1-888-868-3762.

It bears a catchy title, as well, “The 2006 Voter’s Self-Defense Manual.”

Project Vote Smart boasts bipartisan support. In fact, it was launched by such household names as Ford, Goldwater, McCain, McGovern and Dukakis, along with 34 other national leaders.

In a statement defining its goals, the group says it “maintains a rigid standard of accuracy and balance in its research on candidates and issues.”

“The project accepts no money from special or corporate interests, and is run primarily by idealistic young people and retired seniors, hoping for a rebirth of American democracy,” the group states.

As voters scour the bushes for independent sources of information, the group averages 400 hits per second on its Web site.

“Each year, we definitely get more and more response,” Coligan said. “In 2000 alone, we had 16 million hits. The response seems to grow with each election.”

Coligan said the group is financed mostly by 45,000 rank-and-file members who donate anywhere from $1 to $1,000.

Another share, up to 30 percent, comes from philanthropic sources.

“We seem to get most of our inquiries from Illinois and California,” Coligan said. “But I know there are several people in West Virginia who have shown an interest. And we work with quite a few media organizations in West Virginia.”

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com