This is kind of like NAT---any address that matches a permit is affected by the acl, but any that does not simply does not get natted---it is still allowed through, though the acl may say to deny it. Since route maps are used for setting parameters as Todd stated, then the deny statements mean that (let's say a route map for NAT) the addresses that are not matched simply do not get natted, or whatever else the route map is used for.
When I build a VPN in a router, I always use addresses from the LAN for the vpn pool. For me to be able to remote connect to nodes once the vpn is established, I must deny the vpn addresses from being natted. I do this with a route map...I use 10.68.68.69 and 10.68.68.70 as my vpn addresses, and the LAN is 10.68.68.0/24
ip local pool vpn_pool_1 10.68.68.69 10.68.68.70
Then I create an acl for NAT that denies the vpn pool and allows everything else in the LAN subnet...
access-list 101 deny ip any 10.68.68.68 0.0.0.3
access-list 101 permit ip 10.68.68.0 0.0.0.255 any
I make the route map...
route-map nat permit 1
match address 101
Then the NAT statement...
ip nat inside source route-map nat int di1 overload
So addresses 10.68.68.69 and 10.68.68.70 are not natted, yet they are obviously permitted for the vpn to connect. The route-map itself is only concerned with what gets natted and what does not, since it is pointed to acl 101, and acl 101 is used in the nat statement. THEREFORE...
'Traffic that matches a permit is affected by the route map, traffic that matches a deny or does not find a match in the list is not affected by the route map'.
Burt