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)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (7 points on Social scale)	No “War on Abortion”, despite his personal opposition: Strongly Favors topic 1 No gov’t funding of abortion, but no prohibitions either: Favors topic 1 No govt imposition; encourage private alternatives: Neutral on topic 1 The federal government should have no role in the matter.: Favors topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Require companies to hire more women & minorities (7 points on Economic scale)	Racist hiring practices hurt companies & are self-limiting: Opposes topic 2 Base federal hiring on qualifications, not race: Neutral on topic 2 Recruiting minorities for federal positions is OK: Favors topic 2 Racism is immoral; but end affirmative action: Opposes topic 2
Favors topic 3: Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws (7 points on Social scale)	Consenting adults should have Civil Unions, but not federal: Strongly Favors topic 3 Supreme Court was right to allow Boy Scouts to exclude gays: Opposes topic 3 Gay marriage is up to the two individuals, not the state: Strongly Favors topic 3 Partnership benefits for gay govt employees, but not private: Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Permit prayer in public schools (10 points on Social scale)	Separation of school & state: No Ten Commandments: Strongly Opposes topic 4 No School Prayer Amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (10 points on Economic scale)	Get government out of health care & costs will plummet: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Doctors & insurers should regulate drugs, not FDA: Opposes topic 5 1992 Health Plan all about coercion, not compassion: Opposes topic 5 Government can improve health care by getting out of it: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (10 points on Economic scale)	End the government Social Security system: Strongly Favors topic 6 Social Security squanders your retirement money: Strongly Favors topic 6 Take social security away from politicians entirely: Strongly Favors topic 6 Shut it down; buy annuities with asset sales.: Strongly Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (10 points on Social scale)	Vouchers are just another way to attach federal strings: Opposes topic 7 Better schools without vouchers by removing federal govt: Strongly Favors topic 7 Get government out of education so parents can choose: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers better than public schools; no govt is best: Strongly Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (7 points on Social scale)	Against capital punishment: Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (10 points on Social scale)	Mandatory sentencing takes jail space from real criminals: Strongly Opposes topic 9 First priority: pardon non-violent offenders: Opposes topic 9 Stop prosecuting victimless crime; real crime then decreases: Opposes topic 9 No prison for victimless crimes nor white-collar crimes: Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (7 points on Social scale)	Enforcing 20,000 existing gun laws is useless & dangerous: Opposes topic 10 Gun restrictions are unconstitutional: Strongly Favors topic 10 Don’t let politicians decide our need for assault rifles: Strongly Favors topic 10 Prosecute crimes, not possession of weapons: Favors topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Decrease overall taxation of the wealthy (10 points on Economic scale)	Principle is zero tax; Bush’s is 1/3 of income as tax: Strongly Favors topic 11 Reduce size of govt so income taxes aren’t needed: Strongly Favors topic 11 Abolish the IRS and the income tax: Strongly Favors topic 11 10% flat tax OK, if no income tax returns: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Immigration helps our economy-encourage it (10 points on Economic scale)	Let in the huddled masses: Strongly Favors topic 12 Maintain open borders; end war on immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 Ease immigration laws; no Official English: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (7 points on Economic scale)	Replace WTO & NAFTA with uniformly low tariffs: Neutral on topic 13 Open trade policy without NAFTA or WTO: Neutral on topic 13 Free trade guarantees peace better than military: Strongly Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Link human rights to trade with China (10 points on Social scale)	No China in WTO, because no need for WTO: Opposes topic 14 No import tariffs, regardless of human rights: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 15: More spending on armed forces (10 points on Economic scale)	We have strong offense & weak defense-switch it: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Keep out of wars, rather than police the world: Opposes topic 15 De-fund CIA; decrease R&D for new weapons.: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Avoid arms trade; promote peace by free trade: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Opposes topic 16: Reduce spending on missile defense (Star Wars) (10 points on Economic scale)	Fund SDI, pay, & readiness; cut CIA & everything else: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Deploy SDI; no need to fight spread of nukes: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Build missile defense by private reward system: Opposes topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Seek UN approval for military action (10 points on Economic scale)	End foreign aid to individual countries as well as agencies: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Exit UN; extend diplomatic relations to all countries: Opposes topic 17 Russia: No aid; no meddling; just free trade.: Opposes topic 17 UN has failed to bring world peace -- so withdraw: Opposes topic 17
Opposes topic 18: Reduce use of coal, oil, & nuclear energy (7 points on Economic scale)	Oppose Kyoto, even if achieved by market mechanisms: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Global Warming inconclusive; too much political agenda: Opposes topic 18 Protect environment via private property ownership: Opposes topic 18 Agrees with goal of cleaner environment, but not via govt: Neutral on topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (10 points on Social scale)	Drug War breaches 4th Amendment civil rights: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Only politicians pretend we’re winning insane War on Drugs: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Decriminalize pot; end the war on drugs: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Pardon non-violent drug offenders to free prison space: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (0 points on Social scale)	Shut down welfare state, and let immigrants come: Favors topic 20 Religious & community-based charities should handle welfare: Strongly Favors topic 20 End welfare; return to private compassion & charity: Strongly Favors topic 20 Community-based welfare ensured oversight & honesty: Strongly Favors topic 20