The concept was lampooned on the controversial July 21, 2008, address of the New Yorker journal. Obama missed 282 of the 630 full votes from Dec. 8, 2007, to July 28, 2008, or 44.8 per cent. Obama ranks third in votes missed powering fellow presidential applicant Sen. As a senator in the Illinois legislature, Obama experienced a third alternative further than "Yes" or "No" -- "Present.