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)	Fund stem cell research on existing & new embryonic lines: Favors topic 1 Agreed with NARAL on 16 pro-choice votes; absent on other 7: Strongly Favors topic 1 Any abortion decision should remain between woman & doctor: Strongly Favors topic 1 Stem Cell research should not be limited: Favors topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Discontinue public college & government affirmative action: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Racism still with us in the 21st century: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	By next election, gay marriage could win a popular vote: Strongly Favors topic 3 Civil union establish second-class citizenship for gays: Strongly Favors topic 3 Don't ask don't tell should have gone 20 years ago: Strongly Favors topic 3 Unequivocally supports same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
No opinion on topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (0 points on Social scale)	No position on separation of church & state: Neutral on topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+5 points on Social scale)	Eliminate the federal death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Citizen Power includes abolition of the death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+5 points on Social scale)	If you don't have any money, you don't get any justice: Opposes topic 9 Eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing laws: Strongly Opposes topic 9 More jails don't cut crime--must address poverty instead: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	License for concealed carry; teach firearms safety: Opposes topic 10 Require license & training for gun ownership: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Expand Medicare coverage & child healthcare programs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Universal coverage with guaranteed equal care: Strongly Favors topic 5 Everybody should have the same health care: Favors topic 5 End subsidization of the insurance companies: Favors topic 5 Citizen Power includes universal health care: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Put real money in the Trust Fund & invest it properly: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports vouchers, charters, and magnet schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Citizen Power includes school vouchers: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers are innovative & imaginative--let's experiment: Strongly Favors topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Institute a tax on oil: Strongly Favors topic 18 Carbon tax can get us off of gasoline in 5 years: Strongly Favors topic 18 Make Global Warming a matter of national security: Strongly Favors topic 18 Immediately sign the Kyoto protocol: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+5 points on Social scale)	War on drugs is a total failure: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Allow buying marijuana at liquor stores: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Decriminalize hard drugs so we can treat addicts: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Drugs are public health issue, not criminal issue: Strongly Opposes topic 19 War on drugs loses an entire generation to our prisons: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Legalize the use and possession of marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Stop punishment for victimless crimes: drugs, sex & gambling: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (-3 points on Economic scale)	No position on faith-based initiatives: Neutral on topic 20 Citizens Wage: $5000 income from feds to banish poverty: Opposes topic 20
Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+2 points on Economic scale)	Tax code is corrupt & serves the wealthy: Favors topic 11 Wipe out the income tax! -- it's regressive: Opposes topic 11 National sales tax; no exceptions; prebates for essentials: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports a national sales tax to replace IRS: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal the income tax and close down the IRS: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Purpose of economy is to meet people's needs, not business: Strongly Favors topic 11 Less regressive tax on poor; more capital gains on rich: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working here: Strongly Favors topic 12 Immigration issue is national scapegoating: Strongly Favors topic 12 Embarrassed at building a wall on southern border: Strongly Favors topic 12 Make whole country a sanctuary city: Strongly Favors topic 12 I'm ashamed that we're building a fence on southern border: Strongly Favors topic 12 Make English the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12 Illegal immigrants come here for jobs; don't deport them: Strongly Favors topic 12 Nativists who want to fence us in are dead wrong: No opin. on topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	No sanctions on China or Venezuela, but no trade agreements: Opposes topic 13 CAFTA & NAFTA cause unemployment in Mexico & Central America: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Trade agreements only benefit shareholders: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Tariffs on China could spur worldwide economic downturn: No opin. on topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+5 points on Social scale)	No additional homeland security funding; no missile defense: Strongly Opposes topic 15 US has nothing to fear; fear sustains the military complex: Opposes topic 15 Cut Pentagon by more than 15%; we're squandering money: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Cut US nuclear arsenal from 10,000 to a couple hundred: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Cut military budget in half--we don't need such "readiness": Strongly Opposes topic 15 Presidential imperialism feeds the arms industry: No opin. on topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-5 points on Economic scale)	Public taxpayer funding for federal candidates: Strongly Favors topic 16 Asks candidates to pledge to use existing public finance law: Strongly Favors topic 16 I've got no money; of course I'm for campaign finance reform: Favors topic 16 Start with public financing of campaigns: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (+5 points on Social scale)	No monitoring domestic communication; no military tribunals: Strongly Favors topic 14 Politicians use fear to manipulate us all: Favors topic 14 Raze Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons to the ground: Favors topic 14 Calling critics or doubters un-American is anti-patriotic: Favors topic 14 National security is no need for government secrecy: Strongly Favors topic 14 Bush uses Patriot Act to gut international law: No opin. on topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+5 points on Social scale)	Fighting terrorism with a war doesn't work: Favors topic 17 Soldiers in Iraq are dying in vain; so just get out: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iraq war was lost the day Bush invaded-make it illegal: Strongly Favors topic 17 Immediate withdrawal from the war in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Commence an immediate and orderly withdrawal from Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Election was mandate for peace but carnage continues for oil: Strongly Favors topic 17 Remove power to declare war from Congress-they've abdicated: Strongly Favors topic 17