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)	Immediately cease public funding for abortion providers: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Impeach judges who don’t abide by Constitution as written: Opposes topic 1 Most Americans are pro-choice and anti-abortion: Opposes topic 1 Supports the Pro-life Presidential Leadership Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 1
Strongly Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+5 points on Economic scale)	Helped oust Iowa justices who approved same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Discontinue affirmative action programs: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Affirmative action OK individually, but not by group: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Women not suitable for combat due to infections: Opposes topic 2 Abolish tax deferral for media sales to minorities: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-3 points on Social scale)	I helped author DOMA; if it fails, amend Constitution: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Army & Marines wanted Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Foreign opinion has no relevance to US same-sex marriage: Opposes topic 3 Half-sister, a lesbian lobbyist: "Newt promotes tolerance": Favors topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Declaration assumes God created man: Strongly Favors topic 4 End judicial supremacy; preserve our Godly heritage: Favors topic 4 Five justices banned school prayer against American majority: Strongly Favors topic 4 Reference to God in Pledge of Allegiance is not ceremonial: Strongly Favors topic 4 Culture of irresponsibility began in 1965: Favors topic 4 1984: All-night Congressional vigil on school prayer vote: Strongly Favors topic 4 Voluntary school prayer creates bond between you and Creator: Strongly Favors topic 4 1963 Supreme Court school prayer ban was just wrong: Strongly 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)	More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: Favors topic 8 NO on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment: Strongly Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	3-strike laws are constitutional; enforce courts compliance: Favors topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Don’t redefine Constitution with no individual right to arms: Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+5 points on Economic scale)	HillaryCare mandate ok; ObamaCare mandate unconstitutional: Opposes topic 5 No mandatory premium support model; give people choices: Opposes topic 5 If you mandate healthcare, you mandate everything in life: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Repeal ObamaCare; sign tort reform instead: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Medicare opt-in to private health savings accounts: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Focus 21st Century Intelligent Health System on individuals: Opposes topic 5 Market competition yields more health choice at lower prices: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Ongoing battle against liberals nationalizing healthcare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Defund, repeal, & replace federal care with free market: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Establish Social Security savings accounts, like Chile: Strongly Favors topic 6 Get social security out of budget; make personal accounts: Favors topic 6 Invest 50% of payroll taxes in personal accounts: Strongly Favors topic 6 Move retirement plans to personal savings plans: Strongly Favors topic 6 Modernize via personal social security savings accounts: Strongly Favors topic 6 Convert to IRA-based system: Strongly Favors topic 6 Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	I liked charter school programs in Obama's Race to the Top: Favors topic 7 Let parents choose public, private, parochial, or homeschool: Strongly Favors topic 7 Responsibility for child's education resides with parents: Favors topic 7 More learning options: community college-run charter schools: Favors topic 7 Offer coupons to send kids to schools that work best: Strongly Favors topic 7 Introduce competition among schools and teachers: Strongly Favors topic 7 Encourage private sector in math and science education: Favors topic 7 Support charters; insist on change for failing schools: Favors topic 7 Private scholarships for students at hopeless schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Voucherize inner-city programs from schools to groceries: Strongly Favors topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+5 points on Economic scale)	2008 petition drive: Drill here, Drill now, Pay less: Strongly Opposes topic 18 2008 book: Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Billion-dollar prize for first mass-produced hydrogen car: Strongly Favors topic 18 Kyoto treaty is bad for the environment and bad for America: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Focus on incentives for conservation & renewable resources: Favors topic 18 Stop scare tactics about drilling in Alaska: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Combine healthy environment and a healthy economy: Opposes topic 18 Gas tax sounds OK in DC, but not outside Beltway: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Cap-and-trade has no impact on global temperatures: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Explore proven energy reserves & keep energy prices low: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Marijuana legalization would tear America apart: Strongly Favors topic 19 Increase penalties for illegal drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19 Drug-free society focuses on both drug supply & demand: Strongly Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	Critical Katrina recovery by energetic church volunteers: Strongly Favors topic 20 When free welfare is provided, people choose not to work: Opposes topic 20 Eight steps to improve opportunity for poor: Favors topic 20 Error at core of welfare state is its dehumanization: Favors topic 20 Welfare vouchers allow choice & reduce bureaucracy: Strongly Favors topic 20 Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending: Favors topic 20
Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+2 points on Economic scale)	Death tax is a direct assault on civil society: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Match the Chinese and have zero capital gains tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Voted against Reagan tax increases & Bush tax increases: Opposes topic 11 Flat tax proposal criticized for losing popular tax breaks: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Tax hikes retard growth and depress revenues: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Opposing taxes is a key conservative value: Strongly Favors topic 11 Input of public judgement for any major tax reform: Strongly Favors topic 11 Adopt a single-rate tax system: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal tax hikes in capital gains and death taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Make employee educational assistance tax-deductible: Favors topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: Opposes topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	Use American Express & Visa to verify immigration laws: Opposes topic 12 Review all illegal aliens & if you have no ties, go home: Strongly Favors topic 12 Illegal aliens born in the US should not be deported: Favors topic 12 Citizen Boards to decide which immigrants stay and go: Favors topic 12 Use National Guard on US-Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Deport 55,000 illegal aliens with multiple arrest records: Favors topic 12 Elite immigration solution incompatible with American values: Opposes topic 12 Lax border security lets in terrorists: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Immigrants must learn key values of American history: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Make it harder to sneak in, but easier for guest workers: Favors topic 12 1989: Let Tiananmen students overstay visas: Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Protectionism helps China & India challenge US supremacy: Strongly Favors topic 13 Mutual trade: neither free trade nor protectionism: Opposes topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-5 points on Social scale)	It's nonsense to disarm America to balance the budget: Strongly Favors topic 15 Defense as percentage of GDP is lowest since WWII: Strongly Favors topic 15 Be prepared in a very militant and aggressive way: Strongly Favors topic 15 Gingrich-plus-up: $1B increase in 1990s Pentagon funding: Strongly Favors topic 15 1980s: Supported squadron of 132 B-2 stealth bombers: Strongly Favors topic 15 Defend America & allies from those who would destroy us: Strongly Favors topic 15 No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: Favors topic 15
Strongly Opposes topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (+5 points on Economic scale)	Increase federal limits on individual campaign contributions: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 points on Social scale)	Military tribunals to lock people up the way Lincoln did: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Defend America & allies with information policies: Opposes topic 14 International drug traders use network for terrorist traffic: Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (+2 points on Social scale)	Get out of Arab region rapidly; make new strategy: Strongly Favors topic 17 Goal was to liberate Iraq from Saddam, not to occupy: Favors topic 17 Date for withdrawal means terrorists exalt & follow us home: Strongly Opposes topic 17 War on terror is transformational, and will take many years: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Critical of how Iraq war has been fought: Favors topic 17 Iraq policy is a mess: Strongly Favors topic 17