VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-3 points on Social scale)	Build a culture of life: Strongly Favors topic 1 Must make a place for the unborn child: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No funds to international groups that offer abortion: Opposes topic 1 Every child born and unborn ought to be protected: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Ban partial-birth; ban taxpayer funding: Opposes topic 1 Encourage fewer abortions via adoption & abstinence: Opposes topic 1 Destruction of human embryos is a slippery slope: Opposes topic 1 I was first president to fund embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Supreme Court is wrong: leave abortion to the states: Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Equal protection supercedes recruiting women & minorities: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Recognizes value of diversity on college campuses: Favors topic 2 Race-neutral admissions first; race factor ok if that fails: Opposes topic 2 Affirmative access: end soft bigotry of low expectations: Opposes topic 2 For affirmative action, but not quotas or preferences: Favors topic 2 1978: ERA is unnecessary: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Reach out to minorities, but without quotas: Favors topic 2 2003: Opposed MA decision legalizing gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-5 points on Social scale)	Defend the institution of marriage against activist judges: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Constitutional amendment to protect marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Protect marriage against activist judges: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Bush calls for constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Tolerance & equal rights, not gay marriage & special rights: Favors topic 3 No gay adoptions; but listens to gay GOP group: Favors topic 3 Against gay marriage, but leave it to the states: Opposes topic 3 Hate-crime rules don’t apply to gays: Strongly Opposes topic 3 No gay anti-discrimination laws; no same-sex marriages: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Change food aid rules to allow more non-US materials: Favors topic 4 Calls for 4,000 hours of national service for every citizen: Favors topic 4 Character education grants & American Youth Character Awards: Favors topic 4 Fund & honor character education: Favors topic 4 V-chip OK, but cultural changes are better: Favors topic 4 Teach values and moral responsibility in schools: Strongly Favors topic 4 Armies of compassion receive payment in another form: Strongly Favors topic 4 Never discriminate against religious charities: Strongly Favors topic 4 Unleash the passion of religious charity: Strongly Favors topic 4 One of first acts was establishing faith-based initiatives: Strongly Favors topic 4 Establish federal & state “offices of faith-based action”: Strongly Favors topic 4 Supported church-based poverty program in Rio Grande Valley: Strongly Favors topic 4 Fund faith-based private programs that promote independence: Strongly Favors topic 4 Church-based solutions for drugs, daycare, & crime: Strongly Favors topic 4 “No-strings” vouchers for religious groups to do charity: Strongly Favors topic 4 Church-based charity assures nobody is left behind: Strongly Favors topic 4 Only faith and God can overcome social ills.: Strongly Favors topic 4
Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+2 points on Economic scale)	Government-run health care is the wrong prescription: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Endorses billions more in health care funding: Favors topic 5 Senior Rx: “Immediate Helping Hand” now; more later: Strongly Favors topic 5 Medical Savings Accounts part of affordable access & choice: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Family Health Credit: pay for 90% of basic low-income policy: Favors topic 5 Expand consumer choice, not government control: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Expand consumer choice, not government control: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Health savings accounts with choice of coverage: Opposes topic 5 Cover 3 million uninsured at a 10-year cost of $135 billion: Favors topic 5 New Prosperity Initiative: $2,000 health ins. tax credit: Favors topic 5 Keep Medicare in government, but provide flexibility: Opposes topic 5 Health care access via empowerment, not nationalizing: Opposes topic 5 Private alternatives & state reforms come first: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Medicare Rx drug coverage for low-income seniors: Favors topic 5 Medicare Rx drug coverage for low-income seniors: Opposes topic 5 Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure: Neutral on topic 5 NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	OpEd: Tried to institute personal accounts; but AARP won: Favors topic 6 Let young people use personal retirement savings accounts: Strongly Favors topic 6 Allow younger workers to put taxes in a personal account: Strongly Favors topic 6 Privatize SS while maintaining govt system: Strongly Favors topic 6 Create Individual Development Accounts with low-income match: Favors topic 6 Private accounts for youth rather than high payroll taxes: Strongly Favors topic 6 Support retirement via government-plus-private system: Favors topic 6 Privatize Social Security to take advantage of stock market: Strongly Favors topic 6 Use political capital to implement private savings accounts: Strongly Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Public schools are America’s great hope: Opposes topic 7 Move Head Start to Education Dept., teach all kids to read: Strongly Favors topic 7 Local control is core principle of successful education: Strongly Favors topic 7 $300M for Pell Grants for Kids for non-public schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Increased funding to $200M for charter schools: Favors topic 7 Favors rigorous testing over school choice: Opposes topic 7 Pushes OPTIONS for private schools; without saying VOUCHERS: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers ensure school accountability: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers ensure school accountability: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers are up to states; allow local control: Favors topic 7 Fund 2,000 charter schools; defund failing schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Let’s try vouchers in failing schools.: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers a priority; encourage their spread: Strongly Favors topic 7 Supports vouchers, including private or religious schools.: Strongly Favors topic 7 For charter schools; public school choice; vouchers: Strongly Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Human needs over animal rights (+2 points on Social scale)	Proposed different measures to improve the environment: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Restrict wetland development, but not arsenic or CO2: Favors topic 8 More lead emission reporting requirements: Opposes topic 8 Weaken Clean Air; no comment on Clean Water: Strongly Favors topic 8 Work in partnership with states and landowners: Strongly Favors topic 8 Make Amtrak more efficient and competitive: Opposes topic 8 Conservation partnerships to protect lands & watersheds: Strongly Opposes topic 8 $60M for private stewardship; tax break on conservation land: Opposes topic 8 Proposes $211M to cleaning up brownfields: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Against Kyoto & national monuments; for drilling ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 8 $450M annually for wildlife and open spaces: Strongly Opposes topic 8 $4.9B to repair “crumbling” national parks: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Clean up urban brownfields, in US as in Texas: Strongly Opposes topic 8 6-point plan for brownfield cleanup: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Reinvest in Conservation Fund; repair parks & refuges: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Good stewardship is personal responsibility and public value: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Replace mandate/regulate/litigate with decentralized efforts: Favors topic 8 Can’t sue our way to clean air & water--work with industry: Favors topic 8 Keep fed enviro role but give money & flexibility to states: Favors topic 8 Base enviro decisions on science & market-driven solutions: Opposes topic 8 Cooperate with industry, instead of lawsuits & regulations: Favors topic 8
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	Increased penalties to rehabilitate juveniles: Strongly Favors topic 9 Death penalty saves innocent lives through deterrence: Strongly Favors topic 9 Uphold law on death penalty; and think of the victims: Favors topic 9 Death penalty saves lives, when swift & just: Favors topic 9 Bush is confident that none of 112 executed were innocent: Strongly Favors topic 9 Supports death penalty as deterrent: Favors topic 9 Proud of eliminating parole for violent criminals: Strongly Favors topic 9 Supports “two strikes” & registration for sexual criminals.: Strongly Favors topic 9 Mandatory sentencing for repeat offenders: Strongly Favors topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Would sign, but would not push, gun restrictions: Opposes topic 10 Supports gun ownership for protection and hunting: Favors topic 10 Gun restrictions OK within basic right to own guns: Opposes topic 10 Assault weapon OK; waiting period not OK: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Will lead a bipartisan effort to simplify the tax code: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Tax relief is working: Opposes topic 11 Deliver substantial tax relief to 91 million Americans: Opposes topic 11 On behalf of the American people, I’m asking for a refund: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Retroactive tax cuts may bolster faltering economy: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cut taxes on income, children, & inheritance: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Read my lips: I will cut taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 The surplus is the people’s money-return it: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cut top tax rate to 33% while cutting lower income taxes too: Strongly Opposes topic 11 No national sales tax or VAT: Neutral on topic 11
No opinion on topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (0 points on Social scale)	Deploy border fence; end “catch and release”: Opposes topic 12 Minuteman Project are vigilantes: Strongly Favors topic 12 Support a humane guest-worker program that rejects amnesty: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Temporary workers ok, but no amnesty: Opposes topic 12 A time-limited worker card for the illegal immigrants: Opposes topic 12 Support temporary worker program but oppose amnesty: Favors topic 12 New temporary worker program includes illegal aliens: Strongly Favors topic 12 Mexico: immigration reform in exchange for oil development: Favors topic 12 Respect other languages, but teach all children English: Opposes topic 12 $500M to cut INS application time to 6 months: Favors topic 12 Welcome Latinos; immigration is not a problem to be solved: Favors topic 12 Make INS more “immigrant friendly”: Favors topic 12 More border guards to compassionately turn away Mexicans: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Guest workers, maybe; citizenship waiting period, yes: Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Repeals steel tariffs he imposed in 2002: Favors topic 13 The fearful build walls; the confident demolish them.: Favors topic 13 Fast-track needed for US global economic leadership: Strongly Favors topic 13 No trade barriers from Alaska to the tip of Cape Horn: Strongly Favors topic 13 Fast Track in west; WTO in east: Strongly Favors topic 13 Supports Fast Track; WTO; NAFTA; anti-dumping: Strongly Favors topic 13
Favors topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (+2 points on Social scale)	UN is cumbersome, bureaucratic, & inefficient: Strongly Favors topic 14 We ought to be working with the African Union: Strongly Opposes topic 14 US establishes UN Democracy Fund: Strongly Opposes topic 14 US military is key to preserving world peace: Strongly Favors topic 14 The six-party talks will unwind when we have bilateral talks: Favors topic 14 Entrepreneurial China trade differs from totalitarian Cuba: Favors topic 14 China’s taste of freedom encourages capitalism’s growth: Favors topic 14 US troops will never be under UN command: Strongly Favors topic 14 Reform UN & IMF; strengthen NATO: Opposes topic 14 UN sanctions were not effective at removing Saddam: Strongly Favors topic 14 Went to the UN hoping the world would listen to our demands: Opposes topic 14 Calls on UN to do more in Iraq: Favors topic 14 Seeking $87B and UN Aid for Iraqi War Effort: Opposes topic 14 Seeking $87B and UN Aid for War Effort: Strongly Opposes topic 14 UN founded to fight threats like Saddam and 9/11: Favors topic 14 Campaign to sell the Iraq War began with 2002 UN speech: Opposes topic 14 Rejected Powell’s plan for refocused UN sanctions on Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	92,000 more in Armed Forces; plus Civilian Reserve Corps: Strongly Favors topic 15 Better equipment, better training, and better pay: Strongly Favors topic 15 $1B more for salary; $20B more for R&D for new weapons: Strongly Favors topic 15 $1B more in personnel raises; more for housing too: Favors topic 15 Increase military salaries & weapons spending: Favors topic 15 We have tripled the amount of money on homeland security: Strongly Favors topic 15 Largest increase in defense $ in two decades: never too high: Strongly Favors topic 15
Opposes topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (+2 points on Economic scale)	Expose every earmark to a vote; cut earmarks in half by 2008: Favors topic 16 Ban soft money, but no public financing of elections: Opposes topic 16 Ban some soft money; fewer restrictions on individuals: Opposes topic 16 No government takeover of campaign finance: Opposes topic 16 Soft-money ban must include unions & past investigations: Favors topic 16 No corporate or union soft money: Favors topic 16 Campaign finance reform would hurt Republicans: Opposes topic 16 Support tweaking campaign finance rules & upping $1000 limit: Opposes topic 16
Opposes topic 17: Stay out of Iran (-3 points on Social scale)	Africa: Rally world to help AIDS, but not with US funds: Opposes topic 17 Kerry wants a global test while I will be resolute: Opposes topic 17 Take preemptive action in order to make America secure: Strongly Favors topic 17 No “global test”: protect Americans even if unpopular abroad: Opposes topic 17 America will never seek a permission slip for self-defense: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Help poor countries around the world: Strongly Favors topic 17 United States returning to UNESCO: Favors topic 17 Transition from leading operations to partnering with Iraqis: Strongly Opposes topic 17 20,000 additional soldiers and Marines to Baghdad & Anbar: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Russia funding: replace IMF loans with $ to people: Neutral on topic 17 Focus on Big Three: Russia, China, & India: Strongly Favors topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Replace 75% of oil imports from Mideast by 2025: Favors topic 18 End America’s addiction to oil: Strongly Favors topic 18 Explore ANWR; explore for gas; reduce foreign dependence: Strongly Opposes topic 18 International treaty to reverse growth of greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18 $1.7 billion program will make hydrogen cars common by 2020: Strongly Favors topic 18 Reduce greenhouse gas intensity by 18% over next decade: Strongly Favors topic 18 Opposes Kyoto treaty, ESA, & other intrusive regulations: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically: Neutral on topic 18 Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Never legalize marijuana (-5 points on Social scale)	Afghans wanted roads; Bush wanted aerial poppy eradication: Strongly Favors topic 19 2006: Asked Mexican president to overturn drug legalization: Strongly Favors topic 19 Congressional limit on troops in Colombia is “advisory” only: Favors topic 19 $23 million more for drug-testing in schools: Strongly Favors topic 19 $600M plan help 300,000 addicts via vouchers: Opposes topic 19 Stronger penalties for first time cocaine possession: Strongly Favors topic 19 Full background checks on drug use for all appointees: Favors topic 19 Supports tough drug laws as well as drug education programs.: Favors topic 19 Encourages abstinence from tobacco, drugs or alcohol. : Favors topic 19 More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War: Favors topic 19 Rated F by VOTE-HEMP, indicating an anti-hemp voting record: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	2001 corporate tax cut to stimulate economy: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Spending cuts will reduce deficit to half by 2009: Opposes topic 20 Confront the larger challenge of entitlements spending: Opposes topic 20 Make the tax cuts permanent: Strongly Opposes topic 20 I would have increased the minimum wage: Strongly Favors topic 20 Congress must act to make tax cuts permanent: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Reduction in dividend taxes benefits 35 million people: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Restore consumer confidence with tax cuts & new oil supplies: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Be fair and eliminate death taxes for everyone: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Gore plan will lead to massive government and bureaucracy: Opposes topic 20 Blueprint: Cut rates, marriage penalty, & death tax: Strongly Opposes topic 20 1980 tax cuts, deregulation, and trade led to strong economy: Strongly Opposes topic 20 $46B in new spending on health, education, & defense: Strongly Favors topic 20 1997 no-tax pledge: judge results, despite breaking pledge: Favors topic 20 Simplify tax code to stimulate economic growth: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Simplify tax code to stimulate economic growth: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Commit funds to education and tax cuts: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Eliminate certain sales and property taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Cut national debt by $2T in 10 years; leave $1.2T in debt: Opposes topic 20 Too much government spending will end prosperity: Opposes topic 20 Guarantees future surpluses with his tax plan: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Supports Balanced Budget Amendment: Opposes topic 20 2008: Convinced of need for gargantuan bailout fund: Strongly Favors topic 20 Sep. 2008 summit: bailout deal is needed quickly: Strongly Favors topic 20 Tax relief is working: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Bush 2003 economic plan accelerates 2001 tax cuts: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Tax relief allows saving & spending more of your own money: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Retroactive tax cuts may bolster faltering economy: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Tax plan, helping poor & rich, gives economy “second wind”: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Tax relief will spur growth and help pay national debt: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Tax cut for all is affordable and right thing to do: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Cut top tax rate to 33% while cutting lower income taxes too: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Reduce tax rates; return surplus to taxpayers: Strongly Opposes topic 20