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 Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+5 points on Social scale)	Consistency on issues of principle matters: Neutral on topic 1 Resist clinic bombings with full force of government: Favors topic 1 Protect privacy of decision between woman and doctor: Strongly Favors topic 1 Protect the reproductive rights of women: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Quest for racial unity is a defining moral issue: Favors topic 2 The US should acknowledge African-American suffering: Favors topic 2 Affirmative action battles subtle racism: Favors topic 2 Latinos should be on Supreme Court, but no commitment: Favors topic 2 NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds: Strongly Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+2 points on Social scale)	Stop discrimination against same-sex domestic partnerships: Strongly Favors topic 3 Gays should have same rights as others, except marriage: Favors topic 3 YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+5 points on Social scale)	Religion is too private for politics: Opposes topic 4 Posting Ten Commandments in schools seems unconstitutional: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Voted against school prayer; for condom distribution: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Opposes topic 4
No opinion on topic 8: Death Penalty (0 points on Social scale)	Voted in favor of death penalty & against appeals: Favors topic 8 NO on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Additional penalties for hate crimes based on race or gender: Favors topic 9 No mandatory sentencing for first-time minor drug offenders: Opposes topic 9 Answer to crime is local, not federal: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Money determines gun laws instead of child safety: Opposes topic 10 Beating the NRA must come from concerted leadership: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Ban gun sales in residential neighborhoods: Opposes topic 10 Register & license all 65 million handguns: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Register guns; limit buyers to one per month: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Mandatory insurance for children, at birth, federally paid: Strongly Favors topic 5 Pledges better health plan for every Medicaid patient: Favors topic 5 Covering drugs is the key to reducing health care costs: Favors topic 5 All Americans should have access to affordable health care: Strongly Favors topic 5 Fund reforms from surplus, medical Internet, & lower costs: Favors topic 5 $650B over 10 yrs for children’s mandatory health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on blocking medical savings acounts: Favors topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	Growing economy preserves trust fund best: Neutral on topic 6 Budget surplus is a fiction; separate social security: Favors topic 6 NO on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes: Opposes topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	More info on schools so parents can choose what is best: Favors topic 7 Supports experimenting, but vouchers are not the answer: Opposes topic 7 Voted for voucher experiments; now focus on public schools: Favors topic 7 Vouchers are not the solution to schools’ problems: Opposes topic 7 Voted for vouchers & for school choice, including private: Strongly Favors topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Protecting environment is ultimate enlightened self-interest: Strongly Favors topic 18 Ethanol makes sense for Midwest, but not for NJ: Favors topic 18 Apply CAFE standards to SUVs: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports ethanol in gas to ease farm crisis: Favors topic 18 NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline: Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+5 points on Social scale)	More funds for drug treatment; tackle demand, not supply: Opposes topic 19 No mandatory sentencing for first-time drug offenders: Opposes topic 19 “Just Say No” is ignored by urban kids: Opposes topic 19 Voted against more funds for int’l narcotics control: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on spending international development funds on drug control: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (-3 points on Economic scale)	Opposed 1996 Welfare Reform; now “wait & see” how it’s used: Opposes topic 20 Bad ideas: block grants; 5-year cutoff.: Opposes topic 20 Good ideas: federal commitment, address single-parenting: Opposes topic 20 Enlist civil institutions & churches for welfare reform: Favors topic 20 NO on welfare overhaul: Opposes topic 20 YES on eliminating block grants for food stamps: Opposes topic 20 NO on welfare block grants: Opposes topic 20
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	Not every tax cut is good for America: Strongly Favors topic 11 Honesty compels avoiding ‘no new taxes’ pledge: Strongly Favors topic 11 Would veto proposed $792 billion tax cut: Favors topic 11 Best income tax has low rates and few loopholes: Opposes topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	More immigration visas to fill labor needs: Strongly Favors topic 12 Provide amnesty for immigrants who came before ‘82: Strongly Favors topic 12 Pro-immigrant: public assistance; school funds; less INS: Strongly Favors topic 12 Anti-immigrant: More Border Patrol; more info-sharing.: Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Open trade raises prosperity and increases freedom: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rely on the WTO to export beef to Europe: Favors topic 13 NAFTA, WTO, and world trade solve economic problems: Strongly Favors topic 13 For GATT, NAFTA, & Fast Track; No retaliatory sanctions: Strongly Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+2 points on Social scale)	Make post-Cold War choices: pay personnel, not for bases: Opposes topic 15 Make military pay attractive again: Favors topic 15 It’s time for a post-Cold War (smaller) defense budget: Strongly Opposes topic 15 NO on 1996 Defense Appropriations: Opposes topic 15 NO on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-5 points on Economic scale)	Replace soft money with public campaign finance: Strongly Favors topic 16 Campaign reform needs support from people, business, & Pres.: Favors topic 16 Project Independence: his grassroots campaign finance reform: Favors topic 16 Campaign reform: Free TV; mail-in voting; Voter Leave.: Strongly Favors topic 16 Children are ignored because they have no political money: Favors topic 16 Reduce the role of money in political campaigns: Strongly Favors topic 16
No opinion on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (+5 points on Social scale)	Increase foreign aid; US is last per capita: Strongly Favors topic 17 WTO is first step in worldwide economic system: Favors topic 17 Move towards new post-Cold War stability & mentality: Favors topic 17 Russia: Missed opportunity to disarm & communicate: Strongly Favors topic 17 US has an obligation to lead the world.: Strongly Favors topic 17