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)	Rated 27% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion: Neutral on topic 1 No taxpayer funding of abortions via ObamaCare: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated Constitutional right to terminate pregnancy for health: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 Rated 47% by NAACP, indicating a mixed record on affirmative-action: Neutral on topic 2 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	Endorsed Endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans; supports gay rights: Favors topic 3 Rated 25% by the HRC, indicating a mixed record on gay rights: Neutral on topic 3 Don't elevate gender identity as a protected class: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Favors topic 3
Neutral on topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-3 points on Economic scale)	Tax credits for those without employee health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 $350 billion for prescriptions for poor seniors: Favors topic 5 Repeal the Job-Killing Health Care Law: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Repeal ObamaCare reporting requirements for small business: Opposes topic 5 Fully repealing ObamaCare is important, but not sufficient: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on giving mental health full equity with physical health: Favors topic 5 YES on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Opposes topic 5 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors topic 5 YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Favors topic 5 YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Favors topic 5 YES on regulating tobacco as a drug: Favors topic 5
Neutral on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	Rated 22% by ARA, indicating a mixed record on senior issues: Neutral on topic 6
Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated No-strings-attached block grant will kill transparency: Opposes topic 7 Vouchers break link of low-income and low-quality schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on $40B for green public schools: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports grants for brownfields remediation: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements: Opposes topic 8 No EPA expansion of regulated waters: Favors topic 8 Voted YES to require GMO labeling: Opposes topic 8 Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes topic 8 YES on protecting free-roaming horses and burros: Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Death penalty for killing police officers: Favors topic 9 Rated 85% by the NAPO, indicating a tough-on-crime stance: Favors topic 9 YES on expanding services for offenders' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	National cross-state standard for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 Loosen restrictions on interstate gun purchases: Strongly Favors topic 10 Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: Strongly Favors topic 10
Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 No European-style VAT (value-added tax): Opposes topic 11 Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Death Tax is a pernicious double tax: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income: Favors topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 92% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Rated B- by the ALI, indicating an acceptably anti-amnesty stance: Opposes topic 12 Rated Voted to legalize DREAMer immigrants via military service: Strongly Favors topic 12
Neutral on topic 13: Support & expand free trade (0 points on Economic scale)	Promote the Andean Free Trade Agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 Tariffs against countries undervaluing their currency: Opposes topic 13 Impose tariffs against countries which manipulate currency: Opposes topic 13 Sponsored sugar quotas & import tariffs to stabilize prices: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated 75% by the USAE, indicating support for trade engagement: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Opposes topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+5 points on Economic scale)	Withhold UN funding until voluntary and program-specific: Strongly Favors topic 14 Condemn China's organ harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners: Opposes topic 14 NO on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Free postage for soldiers serving abroad: Favors topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Ban stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge: Strongly Favors topic 16 No photo IDs to vote; they suppress the vote: Favors topic 16 Military spouses don't lose voting residency while abroad: Favors topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16
Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-3 points on Social scale)	Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Intervene in Iraq to protect persecuted Christians: Opposes topic 17 Work with Iraqi government to fight ISIL: Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 NO on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval: Favors topic 17 NO on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Opposes topic 17
Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Make EPA into a Cabinet department: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 0% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence: Opposes topic 18 Rated Drill for oil & gas in offshore OCS & Eastern Gulf of Mexico: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on tax incentives for renewable energy: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Opposes topic 18 YES on opening Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets: Favors topic 18 NO on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution: Opposes topic 18 NO on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated -10 by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 Rated 25% by NORML, indicating an anti-legalization stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 Rated D by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	NO on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached: Favors topic 20 YES on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy: Strongly Favors topic 20 YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Favors topic 20

Charles Dent is a Centrist
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