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)
Strongly Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (-5 points on Social scale)	Pro-life except rape & incest; supports litmus test: Opposes topic 1 Opposes federal abortion funding: Opposes topic 1 YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortions: Opposes topic 1
Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Admires courage of Aung San Suu Kyi & Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 Made speech in high school to ease tensions during race riot: Favors topic 2 End “racial profiling” locally, or federally: Neutral on topic 2 Affirmative action OK via recruitment; not via quotas: Favors topic 2 YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports Amendment to prevent same sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on banning gay adoptions in DC: Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Bible stories are historical facts: Favors topic 4 Did earth come about on its own? Evidence says No: Favors topic 4 Separating church and state is goofy misinterpretation: Strongly Favors topic 4 Limited government supported by our Judeo-Christian ethics: Strongly Favors topic 4 I can't figure out how anyone gets along without the Bible: Favors topic 4 Entertainment should not sabotage American culture: Favors topic 4 Supports a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports capital punishment for certain crimes: Strongly Favors topic 8 More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: Favors topic 8 NO on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment: Strongly Favors topic 8 YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Favors topic 8 NO on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	It's God's job to judge if punishment fits the crime: Opposes topic 9 YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Favors topic 9 NO on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Cool off before making new gun laws after Littleton: Favors topic 10 More parenting better than more gun laws: Favors topic 10 Opposes restrictions on the right to bear arms: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+5 points on Economic scale)	$776B tax cut plan helps people afford health care: Opposes topic 5 Opposes government-run healthcare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Loosen "one-size-fits-all" approach to Medicaid: Opposes topic 5 YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 5 YES on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Personal Retirement Savings Accounts invest 2% privately: Strongly Favors topic 6 Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6 YES on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	Competition is what's missing from public school monopoly: Strongly Favors topic 7 Empower local people instead of bureaucrats: Favors topic 7 Create competition in public schools: Opposes topic 7 Tax money for entrepreneurial private schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+2 points on Economic scale)	Manage the environment to bequest it to future: Favors topic 18 Environment and economy are not at odds: Favors topic 18 Devolve enviro policy-making to State and community: Opposes topic 18 NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Refuse to celebrate the drug-filled lifestyle: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+5 points on Economic scale)	Chaired committee which overhauled the welfare system: Favors topic 20 Allow faith-based institutions to address social ills: Strongly Favors topic 20 Focus next phase of welfare reform on fathers: Favors topic 20 Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending: Favors topic 20 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 20
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+5 points on Economic scale)	Lower taxes to create competitive climate: Strongly Opposes topic 11 10% tax cut to promote charitable giving: Opposes topic 11 Tax credits (100%) for charitable donations: Opposes topic 11 Tax cuts and national renewal: Opposes topic 11 $776B tax cut plan helps people afford health care: Opposes topic 11 Opposes both marriage penalty & federal tax increases: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Opposes topic 11 YES on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Opposes topic 11
Neutral on topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (0 points on Social scale)	Declared English the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12 YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	YES on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+2 points on Social scale)	$1B per plane for B-2 is a colossal misuse of money: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Cheap Hawk: Strong on defense; tight with a dollar: Opposes topic 15 Limited military use, only under US command: Opposes topic 15 No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: Favors topic 15 YES on deploying SDI: Favors topic 15
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	Skinny-down bureaucracy & kick out special interests: Favors topic 16 Money affects ability to honestly assess policy situation: Favors topic 16 NO on banning soft money and issue ads: Opposes topic 16
Neutral on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Neutral on topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (0 points on Social scale)	Engage internationally but choose missions carefully: Favors topic 17 Focus on terrorism, oil, & nuclear development: Opposes topic 17